Softball Opens Mary Nutter Classic with Pair of Defeats

Cal Box | UCSB Box
 
Palm Springs, Calif. – The Fordham softball team fell twice on day one of the 2018 Mary Nutter Classic, 9-2 to #23/22 California and, later, 12-7, to UC Santa Barbara. With the losses, the Rams fall to 0-3 on the year.
 
The Golden Bears got on the board in the first inning of game one and added two in the third, the latter on a wild pitch that proved to be the go-ahead run. Madi Shaw notched Fordham's first runs of the year with a two-run bomb in the fourth to get the Rams within one but things unraveled for Madie Aughinbaugh in the bottom of the fifth as five Cal players crossed the plate, four with the sophomore on the mound and one with freshman Paige Rauch shifting into the circle from second base. Rauch would allow a run of her own in the final frame when a runner on third ran home on a steal attempt by a runner on first.  
 
Aughinbaugh notched Fordham's first multi-hit effort, with a pair of singles in three trips to the plate, while Rauch reached base twice, as well, with a single and a walk. Also recording her first hit was Brianna Pinto with a bunt single in the third.
 
Fordham got its first lead of the young season, 2-1, in the second inning against Santa Barbara when an error in center field allowed both Kelly Bright and Rachel Hubertus to score. The Gauchos retook the lead with three runs in the next half-inning to take a 5-2 lead but Rauch ripped her first career home run to right, a two-run shot, scoring Gianna Ranieri, who pinch-ran for Quense, to get within one, 5-4. Two innings later, the Gauchos would pad their lead and the Rams would again get within one. Down, 7-4, Hubertus tallied her first career hit and run driven in with a two-run single up the middle to score Rauch and Quense.
 
Anne Marie Prentiss came on in relief of Quense in the sixth and Santa Barbara put the game out of reach with a five spot that included a grand slam, although all runs were unearned after errors by Rauch and Brianna Pinto. Aughinbaugh capped the day's scoring with her first career bomb, a solo effort to left.  
 
Rauch enjoyed her first multi-hit game at the plate, with a single and home run, while and Aughinbaugh and Shaw each reached twice. Deanna Burbridge also came off the bench late and recorded her first career hit, a single.
 
The Rams will look to bounce back and get their first win of the season while also enacting revenge for last May's NCAA regional defeat against #24/21 Utah tomorrow at 3 p.m. before taking on Team Japan in an exhibition contest immediately after.