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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team (12-15) is fresh off a three-game series sweep at Dayton to open up Atlantic 10 play and will head out on the road again this weekend for three games at Saint Joseph's. First, however, the Rams must play a rescheduled nonconference game at RV/RV Hofstra (17-7, 3-0 CAA) on Wednesday afternoon, moved back two weeks due to inclement weather. First pitch at Bill Edwards Stadium is set for 3 p.m.
Fans can watch all three contests or follow along via live stats and Twitter updates via the links above.
Last Time Out
Fordham began Atlantic 10 play in style this past weekend by sweeping the Flyers over three games. Saturday's doubleheader was moved to Friday due to impending weather conditions but the Rams were up to the task of starting a day earlier as
Madie Aughinbaugh shut Dayton down with a seven-inning shutout, allowing just three hits to the Flyers offense while striking out six.
Chelsea Skrepenak kicked off her stellar weekend at the plate with a clutch two-out, two-on two-run single in the top of the seventh for the game-winning runs. Game two was a back-and-forth affair that saw Fordham take three different leads at the Flyers fought back to tie the game twice in the middle innings but the Rams powered past in the sixth inning when
Madi Shaw delivered her second solo home run of the game for the go-ahead run, 5-4.
Maria Trivelpiece added an insurance run shortly thereafter with her first career triple, driving in
Brianna Pinto. Skrepenak also homered, in the fifth, to break a 3-3 tie temporarily. Sunday's series finale was all Fordham from the jump, scoring five runs in the first inning, five more in the second, and two apiece in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. The offense tallied 15 hits, 16 RBIs, and 16 runs, and Aughinbaugh picked up her third win of the weekend, and second straight in relief, by tossing 4.2 frames of one-run ball.
Paige Rauch and Skrepenak combined to go 7-for-10 with eight runs scored and four RBIs from the top two spots in the lineup, while
Kylie Michael and Trivelpiece each notched two hits and two runs, the latter driving in a career-best six teammates.
Skrepenak finished the weekend with a slash line of .636/.692/1.273 with two home runs, five RBIs, and a team-leading five runs scored. Four different Rams batted .400 and above for the weekend. Trivelpiece led the way with eight RBIs. Aughinbaugh was instrumental in the sweep on the mound, twirling a shutout in game one and allowing just two runs, one apiece in two different relief appearances, tallying three wins and giving her the victory in the team's last six wins. She finished the weekend with just two earned runs over 14.2 innings (0.95 ERA) on 10 hits and a walk with eight punchouts.
Series History vs. Hofstra
The Pride hold a 13-4 all-time series advantage since 1986, with last season's 3-2 loss in the Bronx being the most recent result. Fordham's
Amy Van Hoven got on the board with a solo home run in the first and a RBI single in the second to give the hosts a 2-0 lead but the Pride chipped away with one run apiece in the fourth, fifth, and sixth frames to snatch victory. Aughinbaugh tossed five innings of two-run ball, one earned, on four hits and a walk, while striking out a pair. The Pride took the series' first eight contests until Fordham's 2-1 win on neutral ground. The Rams have since won three times: 1-0 on the road in 2010, 3-2 at home in 2014, and 12-11 at home in 2016.
Coach Orchard Earns Win Number 600 in Maroon and White
Bridget Orchard celebrated her 700th career victory last season with a 7-0 shutout in game one of a doubleheader against Saint Joseph's last April 2nd and reached another milestone this past weekend at home, tallying her 600th win as Fordham head coach in style, with a 21-0 win over Detroit Mercy last Sunday. In her 17th season at the helm, Orchard has a 603-370 record in the Bronx.
Aughinbaugh Named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week
The sophomore earned her first honor of the season after leading Fordham to three victories last weekend in the circle. Aughinbaugh made four appearances, including three starts, all of which she went the distance in. For the weekend, the Port Tobacco, Md. native compiled a 1.07 ERA over 19.2 innings with 20 strikeouts, with wins over UMass-Lowell, Seton Hall, and Detroit Mercy. Read more about it,
here.
Rauch Named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week
Paige Rauch previously took home the program's first piece of hardware two weeks ago when she was named Rookie of the Week. She slashed .357/.500/1.000 at the plate with a pair of solo home runs, a team-high five walks and runs scored, and four runs driven in, and made four appearances in the circle, three starts, and walked away with a 3-1 record, allowing just six runs, five earned, on 13 hits and 10 walks across 21.2 innings (1.62 ERA), while striking out 14. Read more about Rauch's weekend,
here.
Fordham Picked to Successfully Defend A-10 Title
Like a year ago, Fordham received nine of 10 possible first-place votes and 99 points from the league's head coaches and have thus been picked to successfully defend its Atlantic 10 championship for a sixth consecutive year. You can read more about that,
here. The Rams have won five straight tournament titles and six of the last seven, plus five regular season titles, as well, in the past eight years.
Keeping up with the Record Book
As mentioned, 17 school records were broken or tied last year. Quense and Shaw continue their climbs up the all-time lists in their final campaigns in maroon and white. Check it all out,
here.
Fordham Softball Archived Stories
Read up on Fordham's offseason turnover, season previews, game previews and recaps. 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.
Welcoming New Faces
The program welcomed seven new players to the Bronx this season, six freshmen and one transfer. Infielder
Rachel Hubertus, infielder
Brianna Pinto, pitcher
Anne Marie Prentiss, pitcher/infielder
Paige Rauch, and pitcher
Gianna Ranieri were
announced last November in the initial five-person class, while utility player
Kelly Bright and JuCo transfer catcher
Molly Roark were
announced in June. Coach Orchard also
revealed her initial five-player 2018 recruiting class this past fall.
Up Next
The Rams head to Philadelphia for a three-game series against Saint Joseph's this weekend, beginning on Saturday with a noon doubleheader.
Continue to keep up to date with the program on social media: @FordhamSoftball on Twitter and Instagram, and here at FordhamSports.com!
