Softball Continues A-10 Play by Welcoming Saint Joseph's to Bahoshy Field

Watch | Listen | Live Stats
Twitter Updates @FordhamSoftball
 
Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team (25-7, 3-0 A-10) has won five in a row dating back to last weekend's three-game sweep of Rhode Island to begin Atlantic 10 play, and all five contests have been shutouts, a new program record. The Rams continue league action, after a brief nonconference doubleheader midweek, by hosting last year's runners-up Saint Joseph's (8-16, 2-1 A-10) for a three-game set at Bahoshy Field this weekend.
 
Due to weather forecasts, however, Saturday and Sunday games have been switched. Saturday will now feature one game, beginning at 1 p.m., while Sunday will now hold a doubleheader beginning at noon.
 
As always, fans can follow along with the action via the links above, watching the A-10 Digital Network's live broadcast, listening along with WFUV 90.7, or with live stats.
 
Last Time Out
The Rams were scheduled to head to Seton Hall on Tuesday and host Stony Brook the following day but early April showers forced a postponement of Tuesday's contest and the creation of a three-team doubleheader in the Bronx on Wednesday. Fordham was unfazed with the changes, sweeping the twin bill with two more shutout victories. First, the Rams made it four straight five-inning run-rule victories with a 13-0 defeat of the Seawolves, with eight different players tallying between one and two RBI on the day, and the trio of Madison Aughinbaugh, Taylor Stocks, and Stephanie Rundlett combining for a one-hitter. Lauren Quense started game two but was limited to three innings due to a lingering injury, with Aughinbaugh and Stocks combining to keep the shutout intact, while Fordham's 7-8-9 hitters strung together three straight RBI hits in the fourth for the deciding runs. Read all about it here.
 
Van Hoven, Stocks Named Atlantic 10 Player, Pitcher of the Week
Fordham has garnered at least one weekly A-10 award in all seven weeks to start the year. This week, it was senior shortstop Amy Van Hoven and freshman Taylor Stocks, each earning the award for the first time this year. Read about their performances this past week here.
 
On Wednesday, Van Hoven smacked a two-run double to left center and added a single in six total at bats, stealing three bases between the two games, while Stocks appeared in relief in both contests, picking up the win against Seton Hall and overall allowing just one hit in three scoreless innings with no walks and a team-leading four strikeouts.
 
Series History vs. Saint Joseph's
The Hawks are one of Fordham's most-played opponents, with the series currently standing at 58 games, 30-28 in the Rams' favor since 1996, when they joined the Atlantic 10. The Hawks enjoyed all the early success in the series, dominating to the tune of wins in 21 of the first 24 contests from '96 to 2004. Fordham has since turned it around, with a 27-7 record, including a 5-1 record last year that included three wild contests in the Atlantic 10 Championship. The Rams swept the Hawks in the regular season by a combined score of 28-6 but fell in the opening game of the championship, 1-0. With the loss, the Rams had to string together five straight wins if they wanted to successfully defend their title and they did just that, meeting Saint Joseph's in the final and defeating them twice in a row to prevail, first 4-3 winners in eight innings on Van Hoven's walk-off single, and later a convincing 5-1 win that saw Quense pick up her 17^th win of the year with 5.1 innings of one-run ball.  
 
NCAA Rankings
The Fordham softball team is enjoying one of its best statistical seasons through seven weeks of play and it is reflected in the Division I rankings. The Rams offense has been on a tear recently and has brought its team average up to .310 with the doubleheader sweep on Wednesday, ranked 43^rd nationally and first in the program's history. Fordham ranks ninth in the country with an average of 6.81 runs scored per game, due to its high average, on-base percentage (.411 – 19^th), slugging percentage (.507 – 19^th) , home run rate (1.03 – 21^st), and stolen base rate (1.88 – 27^th). Fordham has also been terrific in the circle, with the 35^th-best ERA nationwide (2.10) and a very steady defense behind them (.970 – 45^th). The Rams rank first in the A-10 in all of the above except batting average.
 
Individually, Jessica Hughes and Madison Shaw tremendous seasons have placed them among Division I's elite. Hughes' .582 on-base percentage ranks sixth, while her .443 batting average ranks 37^th. Shaw's nine home runs are 23^rd-most in the country and her 41 RBIs rank five. Hughes walks nearly once per game, currently at 0.90, which has her at 12^th in DI. Lauren Quense' 0.80 mark is just behind at 25. Quense's four shutouts already have her tied with several others at 28^th in the nation, as well.
 
Fordham Slips to 44th in latest NCAA RPI
The Rams opened the season ranked 35^th in the NCAA's RPI rankings but after a tight 3-2 midweek loss at home to Hofstra (55^th), and despite a comprehensive sweep of Rhode Island over the weekend, Fordham has dropped nine spots. The Rams are the top-ranked northeast softball program, ahead of Saint Francis (Pa.), who sits at 53^rd.
 
Baylor, who the Rams defeated in the season opener, 1-0, is ranked eighth overall. The Rams have also defeated top-50 teams in Tulsa (32), Northwestern (37), and Florida Atlantic (45), and split two games with Saint Francis (Pa.), who have recently received votes in the latest USA Today/NFCA national poll. You can check out the rankings here.
 
Leading Off
The Rams offense has been especially potent this season and a big part of that is leadoff hitters consistently reaching base. Jessica Hughes is one of the country's top leadoff hitters, with an absurd .676 batting average whenever she leads off an inning (23-for-34). She's not the only one, as Sydney Canessa (.550), Madison Shaw (.429), Amy Van Hoven (.375), and Lindsay Mayer (.348) all reach at an above average clip or better. As a team, Fordham leadoff hitters have an even .400 batting average (78-for-195) after going 5-for-10 during Wednesday's doubleheader.

Situational Stats
Other reasons for the Rams offense being so successful this year is driving in runners in scoring position. As a team, Fordham is batting .339 (112-for-330) with a runner on second, third, or both, and .339 (19-for-56) with the bases loaded. Also, with a runner on third and less than two outs, the Rams bat .581 (61-for-105).
 
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
Amy Van Hoven and Sydney Canessa recently became the seventh and eighth Rams to reach the 200-hit club, the former now up to fourth with 234, the latter in sixth with 215. The duo is making steady progress up several other lists, as well. Quense's excellent start to her senior campaign has seen her jump up several spots in the all-time pitching ranks. Jessica Hughes and Madison Shaw have vaulted to the top or near the top of the all-time batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage lists, while Hughes and Van Hoven continue to climb the stolen base ranks, currently fourth and sixth, respectively, with 55 and 49, the latter mark moving Van Hoven into fifth all-time.
 
The 2017 Softball team currently has the highest batting average (.310) and slugging percentage (.507) of any Fordham team in the program's history, plus its .970 fielding percentage ranks third.
 
You can check out the record book, here.
 
Fordham Softball Archived Stories
It's been a very active first two months for the Fordham softball team, including 14 weekly A-10 awards, a no-hitter, and a 25-7 record through seven weeks. You can read all of the team's archived stories from this season and beyond, 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. Head coach Bridget Orchard has also announced five recruits for the class of 2021 that have recently signed their NLIs.
 
Up Next
The Rams face their first conference road test next weekend with a trip to George Mason for a three-game set on Saturday and Sunday.