April 10, 2013

BRONX, N.Y. - SCOUTING LEHIGH: The Rams welcome the 2012 Patriot League Champion Lehigh Mountain Hawks to Bahsoshy Field on Wednesday, a team to which Fordham dropped a pair of decisions in last year's campaign. The Rams, however, have looked revamped as of late, taking eight out of their last nine, including a doubleheader sweep of Rhode Island on Sunday.

Lehigh boasts a potent offensive attack, led by senior Morgan Decker, who tops the team in batting average (.384), home runs (3), RBIs (25) and walks (17). Decker is not alone in her offensive prowess in the Mountain Hawks' batting order. Lehigh has four batters, including Decker, hitting .350 or better on the season. Alexis Wantanabe, the team's leadoff hitter, paces Lehigh with 35 hits, including a team-best five triples.

In the circle, the Mountain Hawks possess two legimate threats at starter, as both Emily Bausher (1.89) and Rebecca Bliss (1.96) have recorded ERA's under two this season and started at least 14 games. Bliss leads the pitching staff with 10 wins and six losses, while Bausher boasts a record of 7-5 heading into today's doubleheader.

LAST TIME OUT: Wrapping up one of the best offensive weekends in recent memory, the Fordham softball team was at it again on Sunday, posting a doubleheader sweep of Rhode Island at Bahoshy Field by scores of 6-2 and 12-2.

MAKING HISTORY: With another string of fabulous offensive performances this weekend, senior Jamie LaBovick extended her school-record hit streak to 22 games. Picking up a hit in each game of the Rams' doubleheader sweep over Rhode Island, LaBovick not only extended the Fordham softball record for the longest hitting streak in program history (Nicole Callahan previously set the record a year ago with a 17 game hit streak), but the Peoria, Ariz., native etched her mark even more concretely in the Fordham record books, passing the school-wide record of 21 games set twice by Ray Montgomery (1988) and Bob DiVencenzo (1977) on the baseball diamond.

"BAT"TERING RAMS: While LaBovick's assault on the school record book may garner the most attention from admirers of the Fordham softball program, the rest of the squad is having an outstanding year at the plate as well. Anchored by LaBovick's .434 average (second-best in the A-10), seven Rams sport averages above .300 and as a team the Rams are hitting an eye-popping .316.

Brianna Turgeon, who's been on fire since returning from a lower body injury, is hitting .421 through seven games with eight hits in only 19 at bats.

Gabby Luety, the Rams' leader in RBIs with 39, is slugging an astounding .796 with a team-best ten two-baggers and just as many homers.

While Luety's power numbers have certainly been turning heads, the efforts of her teammate Elise Fortier have been bordering on the unreal. The Coventry, R.I., product ranks eighth in the nation in home runs (14), fifth in runs per game (1.2), ninth in home runs per game (0.4), tenth in slugging percentage (.909) and seventh in walks per game (.94).

Michele Daubman, whose progress in the circle this season has been a huge factor in the Rams' success, has also done her part from the dish. The Long Island native boasts a .349 batting average with four dingers and seven doubles.

Fellow sophomores Kayla Lombardo and Paige Ortiz have also stepped up big for the Rams. Lombardo, whose playing time has increased significantly this year from last season, is hitting .311 while seeing everyday action at the hot corner. Ortiz, a First Team All-Atlantic 10 honoree in her freshman campaign, is hitting .305 so far this season.

WHO'S NEXT? After today's doubleheader against Lehigh, the Rams return to Atlantic 10 action this weekend, hitting the road for a Midwest swing against Saint Louis and Butler. Fordham will face the Billikens in single games on Friday and Saturday before heading north to Indianapolis to take on the Bulldogs in a doubleheader on Sunday.