Softball Knocks Off GW, 8-3

Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham University and George Washington University managed to sneak one game of their scheduled Atlantic 10 doubleheader on Bahoshy Field today with the Rams upending the Colonials, 8-3. The two teams will now play a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 10:00 AM.
 
With the win, Fordham improves to 35-12 overall, 11-4 in the Atlantic 10, while George Washington falls to 23-20 overall, 6-9 in the conference.
 
Prior to the game, the Rams honored Lisa Barczak Smith, a 1989 Fordham College at Rose Hill graduate, and her family for their continued generous support to Fordham Athletics. A special plaque that reads: "Acknowledging the generosity of a longtime softball supporter whose vision is to provide a world-class education and athletic experience to our female student- athletes" – Elizabeth C. Barzak-Smith, FCRH '89, Joseph Smith, and Family, was placed in the dugout and her daughters, Grace and Kate threw out the first pitch.
 

The Fordham offense knocked out 12 hits, including three from Jessica Hughes who was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, to back a strong outing in the circle from Lauren Quense, who allowed just three hits to pick up her team-leading 17th win of the year.
 
The Rams used a two-run fourth and a three-run fifth to erase a 3-2 deficit and go on to the 8-3 win. Trailing 3-2, Hughes led off the Fordham fourth with a walk but was forced at second on a Lindsay Mayer fielder's choice. However, Madison Shaw doubled down the right field line to move Mayer to third and both runners would score when the next batter, Skylar Johnston, singled to center to give the Rams a 4-3 lead.
 
In the home half of the fifth, Ally Vergona opened the frame with a walk and Madison Aughinbaugh reached on a bunt single when trying to sacrifice Vergona to second with Vergona moving to third on the play. After Aughinbaugh stole second, Sydney Canessa brought in Vergona with a sacrifice fly to center. Hughes followed the sac fly with a double down the left field line to deliver Aughinbaugh and she would score later in the inning on a bases loaded walk to Quense, to give the Rams a 7-3 lead.
 
The Rams made it an 8-3 game in the sixth on a Canessa solo home run, her fifth of the year.
 
The Colonials got on the board first, scoring twice in the top of the first on a two-run double off the bat of Priscilla Martinez before Fordham got one back in the bottom of the frame on a Quense bases loaded walk.
 
A Megan Linn RBI double in the top of the second gave George Washington a 3-1 lead but a Vergona single brought in Shaw in the bottom of the third to cut the Fordham deficit to one, 3-2.
 
Quense went the distance in the circle, allowing just three hits while striking out four, retiring the final ten batters she saw in the game.