Softball Splits to Begin FAU Tournament, Shaw Hits Two More Home Runs

Box Score vs. Rutgers | Box Score vs. FIU

Miami, Fla. – The Fordham softball team began its participation in the Florida Atlantic Tournament on Friday by playing at Florida International. The Rams split a doubleheader at FIU Softball Stadium, dropping Rutgers, 8-4, before falling to the hosts, 4-2, in the nightcap. Fordham will now head to Boca Raton for the five remaining games over the next four days. With today's results, the Rams move to 16-5 on the year.
 
Fordham has now played and defeated the Scarlet Knights three times this season with today's 8-4 victory. The Rams utilized a seven-run second inning to rally from two-down. Freshman left-hander Taylor Stocks picked up her first career win with four innings of one-run ball in relief of classmate Madison Aughinbaugh. Stocks was nearly perfect over her first three innings, allowing just two walks over her first two innings, before a double and single led to one run in the final frame.
 
Lauren Quense walked to begin the bottom of the second inning and was replaced on base by Morgan Figueroa. Aughinbaugh picked up her first extra-base hit of the year with a double to right and the two were driven home by Maria Trivelpiece's seeing-eye single through the left side. The sophomore stole second and scored a couple pitches later when Jessica Hughes drove the ball to deep center field for a double. Hughes promptly came around to score on Amy Van Hoven's single to center and, after Sydney Canessa singled, as well, reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Week Madison Shaw deposited a 1-2 offering over the leftfield fence for a three-run shot.
 
The Scarlet Knights grabbed one back with a sac fly in the next half-inning and the Rams added another in the sixth inning on Chelsea Skrepenak's solo home run, her first of the campaign.
 
Florida International picked up its 19^th win of the season a couple hours later as the Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed after that. Kasandra Castle and Dani Mowry each provided RBI doubles in the frame. Quense, who started and went the distance, cut the deficit in half with a solo shot, but FIU had added one more each in the fourth and fifth innings when Shaw blasted yet another home run to straightaway center, this of the solo variety.
 
Quense picked up her second loss of the year, moving to 11-2 overall, and was charged with two earned runs on six hits and no walks across six innings, while striking out two. The complete game is Quense's 20^th of her career.
 
Shaw has now hit six home runs and driven in 21 over her last six games, including four straight contests with one home run. Hughes finished the day 2-for-5 with two walks and a stolen base, and every other Ram to start both contests picked up one hit apiece.
 
The Rams will take on Ball State and Brown tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively.