Softball Travels to George Mason for Three-Game Series

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team (9-18, 2-1 A-10) are seeking a second straight series win to begin Atlantic 10 play when it travels to George Mason (11-15, 1-2 A-10) this weekend for a three-game set. Both Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's series finale will begin at noon.
 
Fans can follow along via the links above.
 
Last Time Out
The Rams fell in nonconference play on Wednesday, 10-2, in five innings at Rutgers. Former Ram Jess Hughes provided the game-ending hit with a two-run single in the fifth. Fordham went ahead early when Chelsea Skrepenak, who led off the game with a double, scored from third on a passed ball in the first inning. The Scarlet Knights responded in the bottom of the frame with a two-run home run to go ahead for good and Hughes plated the eventual winning run with a two-run double in the second. Madie Aughinbaugh knocked in the other run for the visitors with an RBI single in the top of the fifth, scoring Deanna Burbridge, who had doubled. Seven Rams reached base once. Gianna Ranieri made the start and allowed four runs over 1.2 frames before leaving with an injury, giving way to Makenzie McGrath, who allowed six runs, only one of which was earned, as the defense committed four errors while she was in the circle.

Storm Named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week
Senior Jordy Storm earned her first career award on Monday when the league named her the Player of the Week. The Walla Walla, Wash. native garnered the recognition by slashing .429/.467/1.000 at the plate over a 2-2 week for the Rams. Read more about her week here.
 
Series History
Fordham leads the all-time series with the Patriots, 15-4, since 1995. Before Mason joined the A-10 for the 2014 season, the two schools split their first four meetings, all coming on neutral fields. Since 2014, the Rams have won 13 of 15 contests, including a sweep at home last year by a combined score of 24-4 with two run-rule victories.  
 
Atlantic 10 Ranks
The Rams powerful offense has them ranked highly among their conference contemporaries. Fordham ranks second with 24 long balls, 103 RBIs, a .419 slugging percentage, and 308 total bases, third with 58 extra-base hits, 112 runs, and a .272 batting average, and fourth with 200 hits. Roark and Hubertus rank second and third, respectively, with eight and six home runs, while Storm is right behind tied for fifth. In the circle, Aughinbaugh has made the fourth-most appearances and Is second with nine complete games and third with 63 strikeouts.
 
NCAA Ranks
One area the Rams have been successful in this year has been the long ball – the team ranks 55^th in the country with 0.92 round-trippers per game on the year, which tops the A-10. Molly Roark leads the way with eight bombs, ranked just outside the top 50 in the nation, and 52^nd with 0.31 per game. Both marks are second in the conference behind GW's Jenna Cone. The team is also 95^th with a 1.92 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 106^th with a .419 team slugging percentage. The squad is also 134^th in Division I with a .272 batting average.
 
Program Ranks
Junior tri-captain Madie Aughinbaugh continues her climb up the all-time pitching ranks. Over the weekend, the Port Tobacco, Md. native moved into and out of a tie with Jaime Giguere ('04) and Michele Daubman ('15) for sixth-most all-time, now one behind former teammate Lauren Quense ('18) for fifth. She also moved past Giguere into eighth with 386.1 career innings and is one away from 40 career wins and a tie with Chelsea Plimpton ('11) for seventh all-time. She ranks ninth with 84 appearances, eighth with 61 starts, and ninth with 249 strikeouts, as well. Senior Chelsea Skrepenak stole her 30^th career base in game two this past weekend, moving into a tie for 10^th all-time with former teammate Sydney Canessa ('18). She is on pace to join the all-time ranks for runs scored and possibly a few others. Check out the softball record book HERE.
 
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 in mid-February. Hubertus earned the accolade following 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 six home runs and 14 runs, third with 25 hits, and fourth with 13 RBIs. Read more 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
Fordham finally returns to the Bronx for games at Bahoshy next weekend when Dayton visits for a three-game series on April 6-7. 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 host Dayton on April 6-7 for a three-game series. Both days' games will begin at noon.
 
Continue to keep up to date with the program on social media: @FordhamSoftball on Twitter and Instagram, and here at FordhamSports.com!