Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team swept St. Bonaventure in Saturday's doubleheader to extend its win streak to 20 consecutive games, defeating the Bonnies, 4-2, in game one, and, 8-0, in five in game two. With the results, the Rams improve to 23-3 overall, while St. Bonaventure falls to 0-16.
"We did a good job setting the tone right away for power in the first inning of game one. Devon and Amanda did a good job mixing pitches against a free swinging team." Head coach
Melissa Inouye said, "Dominant performance by Augie in game two, she had really good command. Offensively, we hit a lot of balls hard, put pressure on their defense, and strung rallies together."
Reigning NFCA Pitcher of the Week
Devon Miller picked up her sixth win of the year but saw streaks of no hits and no runs allowed end during the opening contest, while
Madie Aughinbaugh earned her 11
th straight win to begin her graduate season while the offense exploded for eight second-inning runs. Miller matched her career-high with 15 punchouts, while Aughinbaugh struck out nine Bonnies.
The Rams staked Miller to a 3-0 lead immediately with back-to-back home runs by
Julia Martine and
Rachel Hubertus. Martine's, which went off the tennis court fence in left center, scored
Sarah Taffet, while Hubertus' was of the solo variety and hit to dead center. It was all the support Miller would need, who allowed just two hits in the game and three walks. Her first hit allowed in an even 17 straight innings came to an end with a single in the fourth. That same inning on March 27 at UMass, Miller last allowed an opponent to score and on Saturday, it was a late two-out, two-run home run by Madison Stewart in the seventh inning before Miller struck out Juanita Wolak to finish things out.
Fordham was held to just five hits in game two but all of them came in that eight-run second inning. Hubertus led off with a double to right center,
Bella Ayala reached on an error, and
Aubree Barney drew a walk.
Anne Marie Prentiss promptly cleared the bases with a triple down the right field line and scored three pitches later on
Michaela Carter's RBI single. Aughinbaugh drove in both Carter and
Brianna Pinto with a booming double off the left field wall and Taffet greeted relief pitcher Ally Haskell with a two-run shot to center to cap the scoring.
Aughinbaugh allowed just four singles in the contest, walking none, and struck out nine over her five frames for her 14
th career shutout, moving her out of a tie with Michele Daubman and Rachel Gillen for solo third all-time. Martine led the way on offense with three hits, all in game one, plus two RBIs along with Aughinbaugh and Taffet, the latter scoring a team-high three runs during the twinbill. Hubertus scored once in each game and seven other Rams scored once apiece.
Fordham's originally scheduled contest against Connecticut this Wednesday has been postponed, though the Rams are searching for a replacement. If there is no weekday game, the Rams will play next against visiting Rhode Island on April 17-18 for four games.
