Softball Back on the Road for I-75 Challenge this Weekend

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team (5-9) is traveling back down south for this weekend's I-75 Challenge, with doubleheaders at Georgia Tech (9-6) and Georgia State (1-13), and a one-off game on Sunday at Kennesaw State (5-10). The Rams and Yellow Jackets will kick things off on Friday, March 1^st, at 1 p.m.
 
Only Friday's games will be broadcast live via the link above. Check the Softball Schedule page for live stats links for the rest of the weekend.
 
Last Time Out
The Rams struggled at last weekend's Diamond 9 Citrus Classic, winning the tournament's first contest, 8-6, over Morgan State, but falling to Iowa twice, RV/RV Notre Dame, and UAB. The Rams took a 4-0 lead in the opening contest on RBI singles by Maria Trivelpiece and Anne Marie Prentiss, plus a no-doubt two-run Chelsea Skrepenak home run. Jordy Storm drove in two in the seventh with the bases loaded and two more runs scored on a Rachel Hubertus RBI single and a Trivelpiece sacrifice fly. The Bears rallied late but couldn't get complete the comeback. The Rams led the Hawkeyes for much of the contest in game two but Iowa got to Madie Aughinbaugh in the seventh inning for four runs to snatch the win. Similarly, the Rams found themselves up on Notre Dame with a 3-1 lead heading into the sixth inning but the Fighting Irish rallied with five runs in the frame to steal victory, as well. Iowa shutout the Rams in game two, 5-0. UAB and Fordham each scored once in the second inning and held that score until the seventh when the Blazers scored two in the top-half of the frame off freshman Makenzie McGrath. The Rams rallied briefly when Storm hit a pinch-hit double to lead off and came around to score on an error, but UAB was able to escape the jam.

Hubertus Named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week
The sophomore has enjoyed a hot start to her 2019 season and picked up her first career piece of hardware by being named last week's conference Player of the Week. Hubertus earned the accolade with an eight-game hitting streak and slashing .464/.483/.821 overall over nine starts at the hot corner. She is second on the team with 15 hits, eight runs scored, and three home runs. Read more here.
 
Series Histories
Georgia Tech – The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series, 3-2, since 1999. Fordham won the lone meeting in Atlanta, 2-1, in eight innings in 2010 and took the most recent match-up, 11-10, in nine innings in 2013 on neutral ground. Georgia Tech, ranked 17^th in the country at the time, took two in 2011.  
Georgia State – The all-time series with the Panthers is tied, 2-2, since 1999. The schools have traded off wins, starting with Georgia State that year, 8-0, and the Rams winning by the score of 5-1 twice, once in 2011 and most recently in 2014 in eight innings.
Kennesaw State – The Owls and Rams have met just once before, with Kennesaw State winning, 8-2, on neutral ground in 2012.
 
Program Ranks
Junior tri-captain Madie Aughinbaugh continues her climb up the all-time pitching ranks. The Port Tobacco, Md. native currently sits eighth all-time with 36 wins, ninth with 77 appearances, 10^th with 54 starts, 10^th with 224 strikeouts, 10^th with 31 complete games, and joint-fifth with 11 shutouts. Senior Chelsea Skrepenak is also on pace to join the record book in runs scored and walks, and possibly a few others. Check out the softball record book HERE.
 
Fordham Announces Melissa Inouye as Head Coach
Replacing 17-year head coach Bridget Orchard this summer is former assistant coach Melissa Inouye, who spent the past six seasons at nearby Iona College, taking the Gaels to one NCAA Tournament and one NISC Tournament, the latter after a MAAC regular season championship. Inouye, a two-time MAAC Coach of the Year, brings along her assistant Matt Klampert to the same position and added former Dartmouth standout and Saint Francis graduate assistant coach Katie McEachern to her staff.
 
2019 Schedule
After this weekend's tournament, Fordham will return home for its first contest of the year at Bahoshy against Lafayette on March 6^th at 3 p.m. before heading back south for the Mercer Classic in Macon, Ga. Following that final preseason tournament, the Rams will play at Stony Brook on March 19^th before conference play begins in earnest at George Washington on March 23^rd. See the entire schedule here.
 
Fordham Picked to Finish Second in Preseason Coaches' Poll
For the first time in seven years, the Rams have not been predicted by the league's coaches to finish atop the A-10 standings. Instead, Fordham has been picked to finish in a tie with Dayton for second. Read more about the annul preseason poll here.
 
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.
 
Up Next
The Rams return home to host Lafayette in a one-off at Bahoshy Field next Wednesday, March 6^th, at 3 p.m.   
 
Continue to keep up to date with the program on social media: @FordhamSoftball on Twitter and Instagram, and here at FordhamSports.com!