Softball Drops St. John's, 10-2, in Nonconference Finale

Highlights

Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team got back to its winning ways with a 10-2 five-inning victory over St. John's at Bahoshy Field on Wednesday afternoon, led by Makenzie McGrath's second career complete game and Madie Aughinbaugh's four RBIs. With the win, the Rams improve to 25-22 overall on the year, while the Red Storm fall to 25-20.
 
The Rams never trailed in their nonconference finale, plating three runs in the second inning and four more in the third after the visitors had responded with a pair in the top half of the frame. After both starting pitchers set their respective opponents down in order, the offenses began to fire in the next inning.
 
The Red Storm attempted to get ahead first with back-to-back one-out singles in the second but McGrath battled back to strikeout out both Natalie Giroux and Kamryn Tiumalu swinging to escape the jam. The Fordham offense then burst ahead with a three-run frame. Aughinbaugh led off with a single and Maria Trivelpiece reached on an error, putting runners on the corners with nobody out. Kylie Michael drove in the game's first run with a booming double to straightaway center followed by a Julia Martine groundout to score Trivelpiece. After Tiumalu made a diving catch to rob Sarah Taffet of a hit and RBI, Deanna Burbridge scored Michael with a hard-hit single up the middle.
 
The Red Storm responded with two runs in the third on a two-run home run by Gretchen Bowie but Fordham tacked on four runs in the third to gain some separation, which McGrath wouldn't need, keeping the visitors off the board the rest of the way. Kayla Kmett walked Jordy Storm and allowed a single up the middle to Molly Roark to start the inning. Aughinbaugh attempted to bunt them over, fouled the pitch off, but then drilled the next pitch into the tennis courts beyond left field for a three-run home run, her fourth of the year. Trivelpiece then walked to knock Kmett out of the game. Burbridge added a fourth run with an RBI single to left but Taffet was thrown out trying to go from first to third.
 
Aughinbaugh matched her career best with her fourth RBI on a line drive sacrifice fly to center, scoring Chelsea Skrepenak, who had singled, stolen second, and moved to third on a groundout. Michael drove in another with an RBI single, scoring Gigi Speer, pinch-running for Roark, and Martine's fly ball fell in front of the left fielder, allowing Trivelpiece to score. McGrath worked around a one-out walk to secure the run-rule victory.
 
McGrath matched her season-high of five strikeouts on the day, limiting the Red Storm to two runs, one earned, on four hits and a walk, to improve to 9-4 on the year. Aughinbaugh, Burbridge, and Michael all tallied two hits apiece, with Michael also walking and Roark reaching twice via a single and a walk.
 
The Rams will close out the regular season with a three-game series this weekend at Bahoshy Field against Rhode Island. Both Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's series finale will begin at noon. This year's Senior Day ceremony will take place shortly after the end of game one on Saturday.
 
With a sweep of the visiting Rams, Fordham would clinch the program's sixth regular season championship and the number one overall seed at next weekend's Atlantic 10 Championship.