Softball Hosts Dayton in Key A-10 Series Starting Friday

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BRONX, N.Y. -- The Fordham softball team (16-14, 3-2 A10) looks to move towards top of the Atlantic 10 standings this weekend when it welcomes second-place Dayton (23-10, 7-1 A10) for a three-game series at Bahoshy Field. The two sides are slated to play a single game Friday starting at 12 p.m., before Saturday's doubleheader, which is set to begin at 11 a.m.

Last Time Out
The Rams are coming off Wednesday's doubleheader split with Syracuse, as they dropped the opener, 4-2, before winning the nightcap, 7-3. Redshirt junior Rachel Gillen moved to 10-6 in the circle after tossing her ninth complete game of the season. She allowed just three hits, one earned run and one walk while fanning 12. She also finished with two hits along with seniors Kayla Lombardo and Paige Ortiz. Lombardo hit her fourth home run of the season and added two RBI, while sophomore Sydney Canessa hit her first home run of the season, scored twice and collected three RBI. In game one, senior Michele Daubman had three hits and two RBI for Fordham but took the loss in the circle.

Dayton
2015 Season: 23-10 (7-1 A10)
When: Friday, April 3 - 12 p.m.; Saturday April 4 - 11 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Where: Bronx, N.Y. (Bahoshy Field)
Series History: Fordham leads 20-19 (since 1996)
Last Meeting: May 3, 2014 - Dayton 10 Fordham 9 (10); Dayton 7 Fordham 3 (in Dayton, Ohio)
What You Need To Know: The Flyers, who were picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic 10 preseason coaches' poll, are currently all alone in second place with its 7-1 start in conference play. Their lone loss is at Saint Louis (5-0), but they split the two-game series with the Billikens. Dayton has also swept St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island at home in three-game series. Overall, the Flyers have won four in a row and 12 of 13. They won at local rival Wright State, 3-1, Wednesday and last loss March 14 when they fell to Oakland, 6-5, at the Miami (Ohio) Invitational. The offense is hitting a respectable .276 as a team and averages 4.6 runs per game. Natalie Mariano, who is slashing .356/.417/.567 leads Dayton in hits (37), runs (24) and RBI (22). She also shares the lead in triples with two and has hit five home runs. Tiffany Ricks is slashing .345/.408/.655 with a team-leading six home runs, 10 walks and 10 stolen bases while sharing the lead in doubles with nine. Gabrielle Snyder leads the team in hitting (.361, 35-for-97) and is the co-leader in doubles and triples while adding 22 RBI. In the circle, the Flyers have pitched to a 2.50 ERA and have yielded just 178 hits over 221.1 innings while giving up 3.1 runs per game. Kayla English (15 starts in 17 appearances) leads the way with an 11-4 record and a 1.62 ERA to go along with five complete-game shutouts. Opponents are hitting just .141 off her, as she has allowed 36 hits and 41 walks while fanning 82 over 73.2 innings. Manda Cash is 6-1 with a 1.97 ERA and a team-leading 83 strikeouts and just 19 walks in 60.1 innings. Opponents are hitting .203 off her, and she has completed three of her six starts (21 appearances), while recording a team-high three saves. Snyder is a 5-4 with a respectable 3.13 ERA over 69.1 innings. She has started nine of 18 games in the circle and has four complete games and two saves.

Up Next
The Rams conclude their 10-game homestand this Tuesday, April 7 when they welcome Siena to Bahoshy Field for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.