Softball at St. John's on Wednesday Afternoon

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team (27-20, 15-4 A-10) will look to rebound from its sweep at the hands of Massachusetts this past weekend when it takes on St. John's (20-25, 9-6 Big East) in a one-off nonconference contest on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch from Queens has been moved up from 3 p.m. to 2 p.m.
 
The game will be streamed live on ESPN3 and fans can also follow live stats and in-game updates via the links above.
 
Last Time Out
Fordham suffered its first three-game series sweep at home since 2002, although the vast majority of those years featured conference doubleheaders rather than the traditional three games. Still, UMass clinched the Atlantic 10 regular season title with three wins over the weekend. The Rams got off to hot start with back-to-back solo home runs by Skylar Johnston and Madi Shaw in the first inning of game one on Saturday but Meg Colleran buckled down after that as the Minutewomen rallied with five runs in the second inning to take the lead for good. Johnston would add a RBI single in the third and Chelsea Skrepenak blasted a two-run home run in the fifth but by that point the visitors had ran their tally up to nine. Lauren Quense and reigning Pitcher of the Week Kiara Oliver traded shutdown frames in game two until UMass plated three in the fourth inning. Oliver took a no-hitter late into the sixth inning until Shaw broke it up with a towering two-run home run to dead center. Sundy's series finale saw another Fordham lead squandered as the hosts plated two in the first inning on two odd plays – one, a wild pitch on the fourth ball of an intentional walk to Shaw allowed Skrepenak to scamper home and, two, a chopped ball between home and the pitcher by Kylie Michael led to Johnston scoring before a tag could be applied. Quense added a third by taking a bases-loaded walk in the fourth but the Minutewomen rallied for five runs in the fifth inning on a solo home run, a pair of singles, a throwing error, a fielder's choice, and a sacrifice fly.
 
Series History vs. St. John's
The Red Storm lead the all-time series, 13-8, dating back to 1985, Fordham softball's first year of existence. More than half of the series' contests came before 1993, however, with the Rams winning just one, 2-1, in 1987. Since two games on neutral ground in 2003, Fordham owns a 7-3 record. However, St. John's was victorious in last year's lone meeting, a one-off in the Bronx, 3-0. Lauren Quense allowed a three-run double in the first inning of that one but then combined with Madie Aughinbaugh and Taylor Stocks to limit the Red Storm to just one walk over the next six innings. However, McKenzie Murray tossed a shutout for St. John's, allowing just four Fordham singles.
 
Rauch Named Top 25 Finalist for Schutt Sports/NFCA National Freshman of the Year
Paige Rauch has been a steady force at the top of the Fordham lineup and in the circle, earning four A-10 Rookie of the Week honors (three coming in consecutive weeks recently) and now being named one of the 25 best freshmen in the country. Rauch has slashed .312/.464/.703 with a team-leading 13 home runs, 38 RBIs, 37 walks, and 46 runs scored, and is 13-2 with a 1.44 ERA over 20 appearances and 13 starts. Read more about Rauch's latest accolade, HERE.
 
Rauch Nabs Third Straight A-10 Rookie of the Week, Shaw Earns Co-Player
For the third week in a row, Rauch was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week. Senior Madi Shaw also got her first of hardware last Monday when she was named Co-Player of the Week along with Saint Joseph's Caela Abadie. Read more about their weeks, HERE.
 
NCAA Ranks
As a team, the Rams rank within the top-100 in five categories: Fordham averages 1.06 dingers per contest (16^th), 5.32 runs per game (44^th), 0.19 triples per contest (87^th), has a .444 slugging percentage (61^st), a 2.20 K/BB ratio (70^th), and a 2.78 team ERA (81^st). At the individual level, a few Rams are within the top-100. Rauch has been excellent at the plate and in the circle to begin her Fordham career and ranks 13^th with 0.79 walks per game, 27^th in the nation with 0.98 runs per game, 21^st with five triples, 36^th with 13 home runs, 74^th with a .703 slugging percentage, and 82^nd with 97 total bases. Her 1.44 ERA also sits 33^rd nationally and first in the A-10. Shaw is tied with Rauch in home runs and Johnston is tied for total bases. In the circle, Aughinbaugh's 5.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranks 26^th in the country, while her 0.97 walks allowed per seven innings ranks 11^th.
 
Atlantic 10 Ranks
The Rams leads the Atlantic 10 with 50 home runs, are third with 250 runs and 231 RBIs, and fifth with 336 hits. Fordham also tops the league with both 174 walks and 308 strikeouts. In the circle, the Rams' 2.78 team ERA ranks second over the fourth-most innings (307.2). The Rams' .942 fielding percentage, though, ranks ninth.
 
The Rams have three in the top-20 for on-base percentage. Rauch is third at .464 and is joined by Shaw (.443) at six and Skrepenak at 19^th (.395). The quartet of Rauch (4^th – .703), Shaw (5^th - .655), Johnston (7^th - .626), and Skrepenak (10^th - .542) sit within the top-10 together. Only George Washington has more than one player in the top-10. Rauch is up to 37 walks on the year to lead the league, which is also ranked seventh-most in a single season. Lauren Quense's 18 free passes are also tied for 10^th. The freshman's five triples are also tied for first and her 46 runs are joint-second. Brianna Pinto's 10 stolen bases are tied for seventh. In the circle, Rauch moved past reigning Co-Pitcher of the Year Manda Cash for tops in the A-10 with a 1.44 mark. Madie Aughinbaugh, at 2.75, is seventh. Rauch and Aughinbaugh are third and fourth, respectively, with 13 and 12 wins.
 
Program Ranks
While Madi Shaw and Lauren Quense have continued to steadily climb various program top-10s, one player has made an early appearance on several – Madie Aughinbaugh. Shaw continues to be a fixture in the triple slash line categories and is now up to fourth with 153 RBIs, fourth with 39 home runs, and seventh with 84 walks. Quense, meanwhile, sits within the top-three of several pitching categories and most recently entered the top-five with her 35^th career complete game at Iona. She's also become just the third Ram to make 100 starts. Aughinbaugh has enjoyed a tremendous season and a half in maroon and white and recently joined the top-10 for wins, now solo eighth with 30 career victories, just tied Quense for career shutouts, with nine, for sixth all-time, and just entered the all-time top-10 for strikeouts, with 178. The sophomore, among pitchers with 200 or more innings, is also sixth all-time with a 2.36 ERA. A year ago, Aughinbaugh got into the top-10 for single-season wins, with 18, and this season is one of five players in school history with at least six shutouts in a season. Another new addition has been freshman Paige Rauch, whose 13 home runs are tied for seventh in a single campaign. She will also likely finish somewhere in the top-10 for on-base and slugging percentages, as well. Check out the softball record book HERE.
 
Slugging Trio
This is the fourth time a Rams team has featured three players with double-digit home runs. Rauch and Shaw lead the way with 13 with Johnston right behind with 12. Those are more than in 2006 when Allison Twarowski, Laura Klaiber, and Lisa Busciacco had 10 each. Erin Fisher, Beckah Wiggins, and Jocelyn Dearborn combined for 40 in 2010 and, most recently, Elise Fortier, Gabby Luety, and Kayla Lombardo combined for 43. This year's trio is up to 38.
 
Rams 96^th in RPI
With a tough preseason slate and much turnover between seasons, the Rams landed at 164 in the initial RPI with a 9-15 record. The team went 18-2 to rise up to 87^th overall but with this past weekend's sweep, Fordham has fallen back to 96^th.  
 
Tickets On Sale for A-10 Championship
Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Atlantic 10 Softball Championship, to be held at Bahoshy Field from May 9-12. Prices are $24 for adults and $12 for children under 17 and seniors over 65 for ALL sessions. Read more about it, HERE.
 
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 614-374 record in the Bronx.
 
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.
 
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 welcome La Salle this weekend for a three-game series, the final games of the 2018 regular season. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at noon and will feature the team's Senior Day ceremony between contests, honoring lone senior Madi Shaw. Sunday's regular season finale will start 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!