Softball Opens A-10 Play at George Washington

Schedule | Live Stats
 
Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team (7-16) embarks on its journey for a seventh consecutive Atlantic 10 conference championship with the beginning of league play this weekend at George Washington (21-7) for a three-game series. Both Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's series finale will begin at 1 p.m.
 
There are three different links to watch for each game, which can be found on the schedule page above. Fans can also follow along with live stats above, as well. Admission is free for all fans.
 
Last Time Out
The Rams suffered a 4-1 loss at Stony Brook on Tuesday afternoon, with all four runs coming in the final two frames. Fordham took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on a Jordy Storm opposite field solo home run, her third four-bagger in four days. Up to that point, as well, sophomore Gianna Ranieri, making her second career start and second in a row, had held the Seawolves off the scoreboard with ease. However, the hosts tied the game up in the fifth on a sac fly then took the lead for good in the sixth on a pair of errors and a two-run home run. Storm led the way by going 2-for-3, while Maria Trivelpiece tallied the team's other hit, a single, plus a stolen base.
 
Series History
Fordham leads the all-time series with the Colonials, 30-3, since 2003. George Washington has won one game each at home, on the road, and on a neutral field, the most recent coming at home, 5-1, in 2017. Fordham took the series opener and finale that year and, after not playing them in the regular season, shut the Colonials out, 8-0, in five innings of last year's A-10 quarterfinals at Bahoshy Field.
 
Skrep's Fast Start
Senior tri-captain Chelsea Skrepenak has started her final campaign in maroon and white in stellar fashion – slashing .389/.476/.611 to pace the Rams. She leads the squad with 28 hits, 19 runs scored, five doubles, and a triple, plus 12 walks to just seven strikeouts, the lone player with more walks than strikeouts. She has also chipped in three home runs, 11 RBI, and four stolen bases, while playing her typically terrific defense in centerfield.

Hubertus Named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week
The sophomore picked up her first career piece of hardware by being named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week three weeks ago. 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 four home runs and third with 18 hits, 10 RBI, and nine runs. Read more here.
 
NCAA Ranks
One area the Rams have been successful in this year has been the long ball – the team ranks 44^th in the country with 0.96 round-trippers per game on the year, which tops the A-10. Molly Roark leads the way with eight bombs, ranked 37^th in the nation, and 31^st with 0.35 per game. Both marks are second in the conference behind GW's Jenna Cone. The team is also 68^th with a 2.27 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 107^th with a .417 team slugging percentage. The squad is also 129^th in Division I with a .272v batting average. All three stats are second in the league, as well.
 
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 37 wins, ninth with 82 appearances, eighth with 59 starts, joint-eighth with 34 complete games, ninth with 245 strikeouts, and joint-fifth with 11 shutouts. Senior Chelsea Skrepenak is also on pace to join the record book in runs scored and stolen bases, currently one back from the top-10 in the latter, 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
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 play a nonconference game next Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Rutgers before traveling to George Mason that weekend.  
 
Continue to keep up to date with the program on social media: @FordhamSoftball on Twitter and Instagram, and here at FordhamSports.com!