Softball Heads to Raleigh for N.C. State Invitational

Tournament Central
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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team (10-4) rumbles on towards its fourth nonconference tournament of the campaign with this weekend's Homewood Suites by Hilton RDU/RTP Invitational, hosted by North Carolina State. The Rams will play both Lehigh and Rutgers on Friday and then the Wildcats on Saturday. The Rams will play two more contests, one on Saturday and one on Sunday, depending on results.
 
Fans can follow all the action via the links above.
 
Last Time Out
The Rams kicked off their stay at last weekend's Diamond 9 Citrus Classic I at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in unique fashion, first taking on the Czech Republic senior national team in exhibition action, winning 8-2, before facing #3 Florida, who had been ranked first overall in a week prior. Lauren Quense matched Florida's 2016 First Team All-American Delanie Gourley pitch for pitch over the first five innings, allowing just one hit, but allowed four runs in the sixth inning for the final score, 4-0. The Rams bounced back with wins over Elon, Oakland, and Georgia Southern, over the next two days, with Quense and Madison Aughinbaugh shining in the circle for Fordham. Fordham shut out the latter two opponents, as well, including the freshman's first career shutout.
 
Hughes, Quense, and Aughinbaugh Sweep Weekly A-10 Awards
The Rams have added one weekly conference honor each week of the campaign thus far and swept the awards this week with Jessica Hughes' first career Player of the Week honor, Lauren Quense's third straight Pitcher of the Week award to begin the year, and Madison Aughinbaugh's Rookie honor. You can read more about it, here.
 
Series History vs. This Weekend's Opponents
                - Lehigh holds a 17-10 all-time series advantage since 1990. This will be the first time the two schools have played each other on a neutral field since 2009, when Fordham won, 7-6, in eight innings. The Rams have won the last two contests, including last year's 1-0 win at home, after Lehigh had won the previous four before that.  
                - Rutgers holds a slim 3-2 all-time advantage since 1999, when the Scarlet Knights took two straight games in the Bronx by a combined 18-1 score. Rutgers was again victorious, 6-0, in 2001, but since then the Rams have won twice, both on neutral fields, in 2012 and 2016.
- N.C. State holds a 5-1 all-time series lead since 2006, when the Rams defeated the Wildcats, 3-1, on neutral ground. Since, N.C. State has rattled off five victories, including one in 2007 when they were ranked 24^th in the country, and including three two seasons ago during two different tournaments, the latter being the NCAA Regional in Harrisonburg, Va. The Wildcats defeated Fordham twice, to begin and end the Regional, and end the Rams' season, after Fordham had picked up wins over Binghamton and #17 James Madison.
 
Quense Tosses 14^th No-Hitter in Program History
The senior hurler was lights out against Bryant on Sunday, February 19, tossing six innings of no-hit ball, allowing just a fourth-inning walk, plus a batter that reached on an error later in the contest, with three strikeouts. Quense became the fifth Ram to ever throw a no-hitter in program history.  
 
Keeping Up with the Record Book
Several seniors are winding down tremendous careers in maroon & white and have been making steady progress up the all-time ranks in the softball program's history. Most recently, Amy Van Hoven became the seventh Ram to ever reach 200 hits and classmate Sydney Canessa is not far behind. Quense's 8-1 start to her senior campaign has seen her jump up several spots in the all-time pitching ranks, and Jessica Hughes' excellent start to the year continues on after her stellar debut a year ago; her .479 on-base percentage is currently tops in program history by nearly 40 full points. Both Hughes and Madison Shaw have lept up near the top of the all-time batting average list, as well, having reached the minimum of 200 at bats.
 
You can check out the team's record book, here.
 
Fordham Quick Facts
You can find this season's full schedule, roster, and quick facts, plus last year's season statistics, all here.
 
Fordham Picked to Successfully Defend A-10 Title
The Rams received nine of 10 first-place votes in the preseason coaches' poll, it was announced last week. Fordham has won four straight conference tournament titles and five of the last six, plus three regular season championships in the past six years, as well.
 
The Rams return all eight position player starters, losing only starting pitcher/DP Rachel Gillen. Second Teamer Lauren Quense returns for her senior campaign to anchor a staff that will include three freshmen. The Rams have six newcomers, five freshmen and one sophomore transfer, and will have one more underclassmen this season than upperclassmen.
 
Welcoming New Faces
The program welcomed six new players to the Bronx this season: pitchers Madison Aughinbaugh, Taylor Stocks, and Stephanie Rundlett, infielders Skylar Johnston and Brielle Cerchio, and outfielder Deanna Burbridge. You can read about the first four signing their NLIs last winter here. Aughinbaugh and Rundlett were named their respective states' Players of the Year.
 
Up Next
The nonconference tournament schedule finishes up with the Florida Atlantic Tournament. The Rams will actually begin in Miami with a game against hosts Florida International and then Rutgers, with times to be determined, before heading to Boca Raton to face Ball State, Brown, Illinois State, Fairfield, and the receiving-votes hosts. Action begins in Miami next Friday, March 10.