Softball Hosts Army with Two Doubleheaders this Weekend

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham softball team (23-3, 8-0) is one win away from matching the program's longest winning streak, 21 games, as it hosts Army (5-8, 3-5 PL) this Saturday and Sunday with a pair of doubleheaders, each beginning at noon.
 
All four games will be streamed on ESPN+ although the links are not available yet. The link above takes you to the ESPN+ home page.
 
Last Time Out
The Rams picked up two more wins last weekend, sweeping Saturday's doubleheader against St. Bonaventure by a combined 12-2 score. Aughinbaugh and Miller each went the distance with stellar efforts in the circle, striking out a combined 24 Bonnies. Head over to the team's schedule page to read each day's recap here.
 
Series History vs. Army
Sarah Taffet capped a furious late rally with a walk-off RBI single against the Black Knights in the season opener, 5-4, the Rams' fifth win all-time in 26 tries since 1987. That contest was just the second meeting between the two schools in 16 years.  
 
Miller Named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week Again
The sophomore matched her career-high with 15 strikeouts against St. Bonaventure on Saturday leading to her fourth career Rookie of the Week honor, two this year and two in last year's shortened season. Read about her weekend here.
 
Dos Perfectos/National Pitcher of the Week
Devon Miller became just the third Ram to hurl a perfect game on April 2^nd against La Salle, the seventh in program history, striking out 12 batters over five innings then duplicated that exact same line the next day in the series finale, becoming the second Ram to toss multiple perfect games in a career and in a season, joining two-time All-American and Fordham Hall of Famer Jen Mineau. As a result, the Chadds Ford, Pa. native was named the Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week in addition to her Atlantic 10 honors, as well, becoming the second Ram, after Mineau, to garner National accolades. Read all about it here.
 
Nationally Speaking (as of 4/16)
The Rams are flying high right now with 20 straight wins so it should be no surprise to see the squad all over the NCAA Division I rankings. As a squad, Fordham is within the top-100 in nearly every single category and within the top-50 in half of them. The Rams' triple slash line of .324/.415/.543 sits 20^th, 18^th, and 22^nd, respectively. ALL three would be new school records if the season ended today. They also have the sixth-best win percentage in the country (.885), are scoring the 15^th-most runs per game (6.92), have a collective ERA of 2.18, ranked 36^th overall, and the have the 59^th-best fielding percentage (.968).
 
At the individual level, Devon Miller's recent performances have pushed her to fourth with 12.4 strikeouts per seven innings and fifth with just 2.76 hits allowed per seven. Her and Madie Aughinbaugh are 75^th and 79^th, respectively, with 1.66 and 1.67 ERAs on the year. Miller is also 79^th with 90 strikeouts and 67^th with a 4.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
 
At the plate, Michaela Carter is 57^th nationally with her .426 batting average, just ahead of Brianna Pinto's mark of .408. Rachel Hubertus' 1.12 RBIs per game ranks 53^rd overall, while Julia Martine's 0.96 runs scored per game sit 80^th. On the basepaths, Pinto is 40^th with 17 stolen bases and is 23^rd with 0.65 per contest, just ahead of Aughinbaugh's 0.48, ranked 85^th.
 
Pinto Named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week
Senior captain Brianna Pinto earned her first Player of the Week honor two weeks ago after helping lead the Rams to a 5-0 record, including a mammoth walk-off grand slam against Stony Brook, her first career home run. Read about it here.
 
Aughinbaugh Climbing the Ranks
Madie Aughinbaugh made her 100^th career start at Stony Brook last Thursday, becoming one of four Rams to reach the milestone. She picked up her 63^rd career win in that game and notched another against St. Bonaventure on Saturday. The fifth-year two-way stud is within or just outside the top-three in every pitching category in the Fordham record book, which you can check out here.
 
Pure Thievery
Brianna Pinto and Madie Aughinbaugh continue to race each other up the all-time stolen base ranks at Fordham although the former has pulled away in recent weeks, now up into a share of fifth all-time with 49 with Amy Van Hoven ('17). Aughinbaugh is eighth with 41. Pinto has been caught stealing just once in her entire career – as a freshman against St. Bonaventure and has successfully stolen a base on 35 straight attempts.

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 return to the road for five games next week, first in nonconference action at Hofstra on Wednesday, April 21, at 6 p.m. before traveling to La Salle for a pair of doubleheaders next Saturday and Sunday, both beginning at noon.