April 16, 2010
Fordham at George Washington
Game 1: GameTracker 
Game 2: GameTracker
Fordham at La Salle
Game 1: Live Updates (LA SALLE TWITTER)
Game 2: Live Updates (LA SALLE TWITTER)
BRONX, N.Y. - The Fordham softball team goes into its Atlantic 10 weekend riding a six-game win streak. The Rams take to the road for the first time since March 31, after going 9-2 in their current home swing.
Fordham will face George Washington in a two-game series, starting on Friday, April 16 at 4 p.m. The Rams and Colonials will face off again on Saturday at noon before Fordham travels from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia to take on the La Salle Explorers in a Sunday doubleheader.
Fordham (32-8) has a 6-2 edge over Atlantic 10 opponents this season, defeating Dayton, Rhode Island and Saint Louis, but losing a doubleheader to Massachusetts. Both GW and La Salle have only two wins over conference opponents. George Washington (5-26, 2-8 A-10) split with Saint Bonaventure and La Salle, but lost series to UMass, Rhode Island and Saint Louis. La Salle in addition to splitting with GW, also split with SLU and lost series to UMass, Rhode Island and Dayton. Fordham will face its next six opponents on the road including the match up at GW and La Salle.
The Rams are coming off a doubleheader sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson.
SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
George Washington is coming off a mid-week loss to their in-city rivals, the George Mason Patriots. The Colonials lost 6-3 on Wednesday, allowing five runs to score through the first two innings.
George Washington has lost four of its past five games, with their lone win over Saint Bonaventure in a split doublheader on April 10. The Bonnies won the first game, 1-0, but lost in the second 4-3 to the Colonials.
Lauren Wilson leads the Colonials at the plate with a .264 average, 19 hits and six RBI. Sandi Moynihan is the teams' run leader with eight.
At the circle, Kara Clauss has appeared in the most games for GW, with a 4-15 record. She's started in 17 games. Clauss has pitched four complete games, recorded one shutout, struck out 60 batters and allowed 84 hits. Clauss is backed by Heidi Penna, who has started nine of 24 games she's appeared in, allowed 77 runs in 78 innings with 49 Ks.
At home, the Colonials have a 3-9 record.
RAMS VS. COLONIALS - THE SERIES
Fordham and George Washington have only met in Atlantic 10 play, and only since 2003. Fordham holds a 11-1 series advantage, with the Colonials tallying their only victory on May 2, 2008, in the first game of a two-day series. All three of the runs of their 3-2 victory were scored unearned in the fifth inning. Fordham and GW have played eachother to extra innings twice, both in 2007. Fordham won both games.
WHEN LAST THEY MET
The Rams swept the Colonials, 6-1, 4-2 at the Bahoshy Complex. Jen Mineau pitched both games and struckout a combined 14 batters.
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS
La Salle is coming off a split doubleheader to Philadelphia-rival, Drexel on Thursday. The Explorers won the first game 4-1, then lost 3-1 in the nightcap. The Explorers have won three of their last six games, splitting in all three series doubleheaders against Saint Louis, UMBC and Drexel.
Mary Pat Conville leads the Explorers at the plate with a .375 average with 14 runs, 36 hits and 15 RBI. Gina Massaro has crossed the plate 24 times for La Salle with 32 hits.
In the circle, Massaro has also appeared in the most games, with a 5-5 record and 2.41 ERA. Massaro has pitched 75.2 innings, and amassed 66 strikeouts. DJ Guinn has also seen ample time at the circle with a 4-4 record, 58.1 innings pitched and 53 strikeouts. Guinn has an ERA of 2.04.
RAMS VS. EXPLORERS - THE SERIES
Fordham and La Salle have a long series history, dating back to 1985 when both teams were in the MAAC. During their time in the MAAC, La Salle held an 11-2 record over Fordham. Including a tournament win in 1989.
Since head coach Bridget Orchard took over in 2002, the Rams have had a 12-5 advantage over the Explorers, to catch up on La Salle's 23-20 overall series lead. La Salle won both games in 2008, but Fordham swept in 2009.
WHEN LAST THEY MET
The Rams and Explorers last saw eachother on March 28, 2009. Fordham defeated La Salle in both games of the two-day series in five innings. In the second game, Fordham scored six runs in the third inning. Fordham won 8-0 in the first game, 9-1 in the second.
LAST TIME OUT
Fordham swept the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights. 5-1, 8-0 (6) on Wednesday, finishing off their 11-game home stand. Junior catcher Meghan Shager had a triple in each game, one to clear the bases and plate three runs and the other for two RBI. Overall, Shager was 4-for-6 and tallied six runs. Erin Fisher finished off the second victory with a three-run walk-off homer to right field in the bottom of the sixth. Fisher was 3-for-7 against Fairleigh Dickinson, crossing the plate twice. Her home run was the 12th for the senior this season.
Junior Chelsea Plimpton earned the win in the first game, striking six batters in seven innings of work. Plimpton allowed five hits for one run with three walks. Sophomore Jen Mineau earned the win in the second game with her eighth complete game shut out victory of the season. Mineau struck out 14 batters for 324 K's on the season. Mineau is three strikeouts away from 500 for her career.
The Rams allowed just one run with 10 hits in 13 innings against the Knights. With the win Fordham advances to 32-8 overall, while Fairleigh Dickinson falls to 11-23 on the season.
A WINNING TRADITION
With a 32-8 record going into this weekend's games, the Rams have a .800 winning percentage. The 32 wins marks the Rams' eighth-straight 30-win season. The Rams are on par to have their best season since 2005 when they went 38-16. 2010 has been their fastest season to 30 wins in program history.
MINEAU THREE STRIKES AWAY FROM 500
After 12 more K's againt Fairleigh Dickinson on April 14, sophomore hurler Jen Mineau has shut down 497 batters in her two year career (173 - 2009, 324 - 2010). She is one inning, three strikeouts away from 500 career K's. Mineau will be only the second pitcher in Fordham history to tally 500. Sara Kinney (2003-07) is Fordham's all-time strikeout leader with 680.
MINEAU A USA SOFTBALL TOP 25 FINALIST
Fordham sophomore pitcher, Jen Mineau was announced one of collegiate softball's elite as she was named a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalist by officials from the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America on April 7. Mineau, the Rams No. 1 pitcher, is the only sophomore and the lone representative of the Atlantic 10 on a list selected out of 20 schools and seven Division I conferences. The Rams' sophomore is also the only player selected from the Northeast Region.
Through just 40 games this season, Mineau (21-5), has broken the records for strikeouts in a single game three times, (18 (2x) then 19), the single season strikeout count (324) and shutouts in a season (9). She's been named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week twice (Feb. 22, March 1) and is on pace to set Fordham's single season ERA record with her current ERA of 0.72.
WE'RE GOING STREAKING!
Both Erin Fisher and Jamie LaBovick are fully contributing to Fordham's six-game win-streak as they are both riding a six-game hit streak. LaBovick's longest streak this season has been 11 games, but her six is the second best so far. Fisher's six-game success ties her season-longest tally. LaBovick is .500 through six games, with five runs, nine hits, one double and two RBI. Fisher is .444, with five runs, eight hits, two doubles, two home runs and two RBI.
ON DECK
The Rams will return to New York, but make their way out to Long Island to face Hofstra in a mid-week, non-league single game. The Rams and Pride will meet on Tuesday, April 20 at 4 p.m. Hofstra has also been receiving votes in the national polls all season.
