Softball's Van Hoven, Stocks Named Atlantic 10 Player, Pitcher of the Week

League Release

Newport News, Va. – For the seventh week in a row to begin the 2017 season, the Fordham softball team has earned at least one Atlantic 10 weekly honor. The league announced on Monday afternoon that Amy Van Hoven was selected as the Player of the Week and freshman Taylor Stocks had earned Pitcher of the Week recognition, after helping the Rams go 3-1 over the last seven days. It is the first such award this season for both players and the second for Van Hoven in her career.
 
"To steal a quote from our football program, 'with team success comes individual accolades', and that is what we have been doing," Head coach Bridget Orchard said of the awards, "This team is playing so well that each week a different individual is being recognized."
 
Fordham has earned at least one honor in all seven weeks thus far and has seen six different players garner awards.
 
"I'm very proud and excited for Amy and Taylor," Orchard added, "They are both very deserving and have worked hard to be ready for conference play."
 
Senior shortstop Amy Van Hoven has been on a roll in the month of March. While her teammates Jessica Hughes and Madison Shaw have earned two Player of the Week nods each, she has been bringing her season average up from .244 up to .354 after this weekend's sweep of Rhode Island. Van Hoven has notched at least one hit in 14 of her last 15 contests, including eight multi-hit games, and is currently riding a six-game hitting streak. The West Monroe, N.Y. native busted out for a .727/.786/1.091 slash line this past week, tallying at least one hit in all four contests and multi-hit games in three. She led the team with eight hits and seven runs scored and six stolen bases, walked three times and didn't strike out once across 11 at bats. Van Hoven was the offense for Fordham in a tight 3-2 loss to Hofstra on Tuesday, mashing a solo home run in the first inning to kick the game off and later singling home Morgan Figueroa, finishing the day 3-for-4 and also adding a stolen base. On Saturday, the senior combined for three hits in five at bats, with three runs driven in and four runs scored, plus two stolen bases and one walk in each contest, to help Fordham to a 25-0 combined score across the doubleheader. On Sunday, Van Hoven reached all three times she stepped up to the plate, with a bunt single in the first, a RBI double to left center in the third, and a walk, stolen base, and run scored in the fourth.
 
Her .348 career batting average is now second all-time among four-year players and fourth among all players with at least 200 at bats. She is also in the top-five in hits (231), at bats (664), runs scored (159), and stolen bases (46). For the season, Van Hoven is slashing .354/.432/.479 with a team-high 34 hits, including nine doubles, and is second with 30 runs scored. She is a perfect 17-of-17 in stolen base attempts, as well.
 
Freshman pitcher Taylor Stocks just recently took home her first A-10 weekly award as the Rookie of the Week on March 13. After two solid appearances this week, including her first career shutout, Stocks can add a Pitcher of the Week honor to her resume. Stocks began her week with two innings of relief against Hofstra, picking up the loss in a tight 3-2 contest after allowing a leadoff double that would come around to score on a wild pitch, but setting down the other six batters she would face, including two strikeouts. On Sunday, the freshman took to the bump to see out an impressive series shutout sweep over Rhody, firing five full innings of two-hit ball with just one walk allowed, while striking out a season-high five batters. It was her first career shutout in just her third start, moving her to 3-1 on the year with a 2.05 overall ERA. For the week, she was 1-1 with a 1.00 ERA in seven innings with three hits and one earned run allowed, and seven strikeouts.
 
The Rams are back in action tomorrow and Wednesday with two out-of-conference match-ups, first at Seton Hall on Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. and back at Bahoshy Field on Wednesday to host Stony Brook at 2 p.m.