March 16, 2010
Game Notes (PDF) | Watch! | Listen! | Live Stats Game 1 | Live Stats Game 2
BRONX, N.Y. - The Fordham softball team opens at home on Wednesday; in a mid-week non-conference match up against the Pirates of Seton Hall in a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Murphy Field.
Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on FordhamSports.com via FREE webcast, GameTracker live stats and WFUV.org Radio with the play-by-play called by Tom Felice.
Fordham enters Wednesday's contest 13-5 on the season after playing in tournaments in Virginia, California, Florida and Georgia. The Rams are coming off it's second win against a ranked team this season with a 2-1 eight-inning victory over then No. 8/11 Georgia Tech. Fordham is returning home after going 3-1 at the Springhill Suites Buckhead Classic in Atlanta. The Rams defeated Georgia Tech and Mercer, both in extra innings, and split their two games against Georgia State.
Seton Hall is 3-9 on the season and have played in North Carolina and Georgia so far. The Pirates' are coming off two losses at Towson, where they lost 6-0 and 5-1 in the mid-week double-header. Seton Hall has not played a game since March 10, and is on a full week's rest.
Fordham's game against Seton Hall is their first home-opener against a BIG EAST team since head coach Bridget Orchard took over in 2002.
SCOUTING THE PIRATES
• Seton Hall started its season with a 12-7 win over Boston University (Feb. 26) at the Charlotte Green & White Tournament. The Pirates went on a small slump, losing their next seven games, four in run-rule decisions. Seton Hall won two at the Georgia Tech Buzz Classic before dropping a mid-week doubleheader to Towson for a 3-9 overall record.
• For common opponents, the Pirates faced both then-No. 9 Georgia Tech and Mercer at the Buzz Classic (March 5-6). Seton Hall was defeated by the Yellow Jackets, 16-0 in five innings; but defeated Mercer 6-2.
• Seton Hall is led by rookie infielder Brittany Hammer with a batting average of .462. Hammer has started nine of the 12 games played. Junior Nailin Bennett, who has started all 12 games, backs up Hammer with a .389 average. Bennett leads the team with 14 hits and stolen bases with five. The Pirates' RBI leader is sophomore Kristen Kailin. Kalin has knocked in 10 runs for the Pirates.
• Junior Katie Stillwell and senior Ashley Forsyth split time as the Pirates' No. 1 hurler. Both players have stared five games for Seton Hall. Stillwell (1-4), despite her record has an ERA of 4.36 and Forsyth (2-3) has an ERA of 6.27. The pair each have 19 strikeouts.
PIRATES AND RAMS - THE SERIES
• Overall, Seton Hall holds a 14-11 advantage over Fordham in a series dating back to 1987. Since head coach Bridget Orchard took over in 2002, the Rams have only lost three games to the Pirates and boast a 9-3 record. Fordham lost the initial meeting between the schools 12-2 in 1987. In game two of the doubleheader, Fordham lost 8-1.
• The Rams lost their first seven meetings to Seton Hall before finally tallying a win in 1992 under head coach Steve Kelly. Fordham defeated Seton Hall 4-3 in the second game of a doubleheader after losing 6-1 in game one.
WHEN LAST THEY MET
• The Rams and Pirates last saw each other at the Maryland Invitational on March 15, 2009 in College Park, Md. Fordham tallied a 5-1 victory over Seton Hall at Taylor Stadium.
• Beckah Wiggins earned the win for the Rams, pitching five innings and allowing the single run. Chelsea Plimpton and Jen Mineau each saw an inning of relief in the victory. The trio only allowed six hits.
• Wiggins was also the RBI leader with two. Erin Fisher and Megan Waldron also sent in a run. • The Rams led 3-0 in the third inning.
BY THE NUMBERS
• Five Fordham starters are hitting .286 and over for a combined 83 hits, 43 RBI, 40 runs, nine homeruns and an average batting average 0.316.
HOME SWEET HOME
• Fordham is 11-2 in home-openers since 2002. Last season, the Rams' opened their home season against St. Peter's of the MAAC. The Rams took the Peahens in both games of the doubleheader, 6-4 and 9-0 (5). The 2009 season-opener included Jen Mineau's career-first perfect game.
• Fordham's only home-opening losses came against Massachusetts in 2008. UMass defeated Fordham 4-2 in game one and 1-0 in the second game.
• In home-openers since 2002, Fordham has defeated Marist four times and Siena twice for a 8-0 record against MAAC teams. The Rams have also defeated Wagner and St. Francis.
APPROACHING MILESTONES
• Head coach Bridget Orchard will reach two coaching milestones this season. At Dayton on March 28, she will have coached 500 games at the helm of the Fordham softball program. On May 9, the regular-season finale doubleheader against St. Bonaventure, Orchard will have managed 700 games as a head coach. • In eight years at Fordham, Orchard has improved the Rams' win total from 12. 8 to 34.1 in eight-year comparisons. The run average has increased runs/game from 2.65 to 4.45 and postseason appearances have increased from two to seven.
ON DECK
• Fordham will travel to Harrisburg, Va., to participate in the James Madison Tournament from March 19-21. The Rams will face opponents such as Pitt, James Madison and Winthrop. Fordham will start with a game against Pittsburgh at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 19.
