With the 2020 spring sports season canceled by the COVID-19 outbreak, we at Fordham have decided to dig back through our archives and provide our fans with content on some of the outstanding teams and student-athletes who have graced Rose Hill over the years
 
April 7, 2012 – Fordham softball pitcher Jen Mineau was once again perfect in the circle, throwing the fifth perfect game of her career in a 5-0 win against the Temple Owls in Ambler, Pa.  This also marked the second time she had no-hit Temple in her career (2010).
 
"It was an absolute pleasure to be around Jen during her senior season, as she was so much fun to watch and see her compete in the circle," said Fordham head coach Melissa Inouye, who was an assistant coach during the 2012 season.

 

As was the case in a number of Mineau starts, every Owl struck out at least once in the game, as she racked up 15 strikeouts in the game, improving to 18-8 that season.
 
"It honestly wasn't fair to many hitters as she was a magician with the ball as she had such great spin and movement," said Inouye. "I was fortunate to witness this game, as well as other pitching gems, like a 16-inning battle against archrival UMass."
 
The offense did its job to support Mineau, scoring twice in the third and fourth innings, while picking up an insurance run in the sixth. 
 
The third inning saw an RBI-single by Elise Fortier and an RBI-ground out from Brianna Turgeon to score the first two runs.  The following inning, Turgeon picked up her second RBI on a bases loaded walk with Nicole Callahan having an RBI-single.  The final run came home on an RBI-single from Chelsea Palumbo.
 
The 2012 season was Mineau's swan song, going down as the best pitcher in school history.  She rewrote the Fordham record book, setting 16 records including career marks for wins (101), strikeouts (1,390) and ERA (1.42). A three-time All-Region and Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team honoree, she was twice honored as an NFCA All-American and with the Hobbs Family Award (Fordham's Female Student-Athlete of the Year).  Academically, Mineau graduated Magna Cum Laude and was twice named an Academic All-American® and A-10 Scholar Athlete of the Year.  In 2019, she took her appropriate place in the Fordham Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
April 7, 1981 – It was an offensive explosion for the Fordham baseball team that day, setting then-school records for runs and hits in a game with a 28-2 victory at Fairleigh Dickinson.
 
The 28 runs scored surpassed the previous mark of 27, set in 1938 against Army, while the 27 hits topped the old mark of 26, set in 1937 against NYU.
Fordham scored in every inning, except the seventh, with the big rallies being a six-run second and a nine-run fourth inning.  The biggest bat of the day was Steve Forlano, going 4-for-6 with a three-run home run and six RBI.  Including this game, he was 11-for-15 over the last three contests.
 
"Once in a groove, it's hard to stop," Forlano said at the time to The Ram.  "I'm so relaxed at the plate, I know I'm going to hit the ball hard somewhere."
 
In addition, Vinny Ferraro had three hits and four runs scored with Tony Russo, Billy Santo, Joe Pareres, and Ed Napolitano also having three hits apiece.  Among Pareres' three hits was a three-run home run and four RBI.
 
The record breaking day on offense was matched with good pitching, as Donny Tracey went five innings without allowing an earned run to go with four strikeouts for the win.
 
Since that game, Fordham has broken the runs scored record in 2018 with 29 against Saint Peter's, while matching the hits record in 2000 against Wagner.
 
For 1981, Forlano continued to be one of the top Fordham hitters, batting .370 with 27 runs scored, 11 doubles, and 26 RBI, as did Pareres, who hit .350 with 30 runs scored, seven doubles, four home runs, and 32 RBI.