Softball Hosts St. John's for Wednesday Doubleheader

Live Stats
 
Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team's (2-2) 2021 campaign has officially kicked off and continues on Wednesday afternoon with a doubleheader against local rival St. John's (2-1), beginning at 1 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
The Rams kicked off the new season with a walk-off 5-4 win over Army in the season opener on Friday. After not playing for nearly 400 days and without a home game for nearly 700 days, the Rams bats were understandably a little rusty. However, the offense began to find its groove, scoring all five runs in the final two frames. Redshirt junior Rachel Hubertus, who hadn't played since two-thirds of the way through the 2019 season due to injury, drove in the campaign's first run with a booming double off the top of the wall in left centerfield. In the seventh, Brianna Pinto, Madie Aughinbaugh, and Sarah Taffet combined for three consecutive singles to win the game. At Seton Hall on Saturday, the Rams fell, 12-6. Hubertus produced two RBIs, Taffet smoked a two-run home run, and Anne Marie Prentiss hit her first career home run. Prentiss made it two straight games with a dinger, cracking a solo shot off the scoreboard at Bahoshy in game one against UMass-Lowell on Sunday as Aughinbaugh allowed just one unearned run in a 2-1 victory, with Makenzie McGrath earning her first career save in relief. The River Hawks made it a split on the day with a 7-3 win in game two. Hubertus enjoyed her first four-bagger in two years, a light-tower shot deep onto Murphy Field in straightaway center, while Devon Miller came out of the pen in relief to give the Rams a chance at a comeback with seven strikeouts and just three baserunners allowed over 4.1 frames.  
 
Series History vs. St. John's
The Red Storm lead the all-time series, 14-9, since 1985. The Rams had won just one meeting, in 1987, until the turn of the century. Since, Fordham holds an 8-4 record, including the most recent contest, a 10-2 run-rule victory at home. In that game, Madie Aughinbaugh launched a three-run home run and later added a sac fly, while Makenzie McGrath picked up third complete game and ninth victory, striking out five over five frames.
 
Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll
The Rams were picked to finish second in the annual preseason head coaches poll, just one point behind George Washington despite garnering one more first-place vote. The two schools were set to meet in the Championship final in 2019 but due to a rain out, the higher seed, Fordham, moved on to NCAA Regionals despite a share of the championship. It was the Rams' seventh straight league title, eighth overall, and ninth trip to Regionals.
 
Up Next
The Rams host Northeast Conference programs Sacred Heart and Bryant this weekend with doubleheaders on Saturday beginning at noon and Sunday beginning at 1:30 p.m., respectively.