Softball Hosts Binghamton, Lehigh in Nonconference Action

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team (15-16, 5-1 A-10) returns to the Bronx for three out-of-conference contests this week before its conference home opening three-game series against George Mason this weekend. First up is Binghamton (6-11, 0-0 Am. East) on Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. and Wednesday brings a doubleheader against Lehigh (9-17, 5-1 Patriot).
 
Ways to follow all the action are available via the links above. Inclement weather is possible on both days so please watch FordhamSports.com and @FordhamSoftball on Twitter for the latest updates. If Tuesday's contest is rained out, it will be made up on Thursday at 5 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
The Rams took two out of three at Saint Joseph's over the weekend. Fordham and sophomore Madie Aughinbaugh shut out the Hawks in game one, which took roughly 22 hours to complete. Rain suspended the contest in the bottom of the sixth inning with a 1-0 score. The next day, the Rams plated three runs in the top half of the seventh but Aughinbaugh wouldn't need the insurance as she completed her third shutout of the year. Madi Shaw gave her all the offense she'd need with a sac fly in the first inning before a Paige Rauch two-run triple and a Chelsea Skrepenak RBI groundout rounded out the scoring.
 
Aughinbaugh started game two, as well, and worked in and out of trouble over her 3.1 frames. She was replaced by Rauch after giving up just one run on an infield single in the fourth inning. Rauch kept the Hawks to just one unearned run over her 3.2 innings and picked up the win for her effort. Junior transfer Molly Roark powered Fordham to the win at the plate, blasting a grand slam in the second inning for her first Fordham home run and RBIs. Skylar Johnston and Shaw went back-to-back with solo home runs in the fifth before the offense tacked on five runs in the seventh on a Kylie Michael bases-clearing double, an error, and a groundout. Saint Joseph's salvaged the series with a 4-1 result in Saturday's finale. Lauren Quense got the start and tossed three scoreless innings but unraveled in the fourth as the hosts plated three. Anne Marie Prentiss came on in relief and allowed a run over her 2.1 innings but provided the Rams' offense at the plate, as well. The freshman roped a double to the left centerfield gap to drive in Roark from first base for her first career hit and RBI.
 
Series History vs. Binghamton
Fordham leads the all-time series with the Bearcats, 9-2, dating back to 2004. Binghamton took the first and third contests of the series, 3-2 in 2004 on a neutral field and 4-1 in 2006 in the Bronx. Since, the Rams have rattled off eight straight victories, including a pair of neutral wins by a combined 14-4 score in 2015.
 
Series History vs. Lehigh
Lehigh leads the all-time series, 18-12, since 1990. Besides an eight-year gap, The Mountain Hawks and Rams have played nearly every year since. After a stretch of four straight Lehigh wins between 2012-13, the Rams have taken four of the last five since 2014, including two of three a year ago. The two schools met three times a year ago, first to kick off the N.C. State tournament where the Rams won, 4-2, behind four shutout innings of relief from Aughinbaugh. The sophomore picked up her 12^th win of the season less than two months later in Bethlehem, Pa. as she limited the Mountain Hawks to just one unearned run over seven complete innings. Lehigh took game one of that day's doubleheader, 4-1, but the Rams bounced back with a 6-1 win in game two, which included a Shaw RBI triple.
 
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 605-371 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 two weekends ago 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 three 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 host George Mason this weekend for three games, starting with a Saturday noon doubleheader and then the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.   
 
Continue to keep up to date with the program on social media: @FordhamSoftball on Twitter and Instagram, and here at FordhamSports.com!