Softball Travels to Gaelic Park for First Battle of the Bronx in 12 Years Wednesday

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Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham softball (15-14, 7-4) returns to the Bronx for a midweek doubleheader at nearby Manhattan (5-17, 0-2 MAAC) on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Gaelic Park.  
 
Last Time Out
Fordham went up to Amherst and swept UMass by a combined score of 22-3 over the weekend. Junior Devon Miller tossed her fourth career no-hitter in the series-opening 9-0 win that included two Bailey Enoch home runs, one a first-inning grand slam, and a Rachel Hubertus three-run home run. In game two, Enoch smacked her third four-bagger of the day, while Sarah Taffet and Julia Martine each homered. Hubertus ended up homering in all three contests, too. Makenzie McGrath struck out a career-high nine batters in game two. On Sunday, head coach Melissa Inouye picked up her 200^th career victory in a 6-1 win that UMass had led early for a few innings before the offense came alive and ran away with it. Read about both days here and here.
 
Series History vs. Manhattan
One of Fordham's oldest rivalries but also one that is finally being revisited after 12 years away. The Rams own a 28-14 advantage since 1985, when the two schools were in the MAAC together. It's been largely Fordham since the turn of the century, dropping just three contests between 2000 and 2010, with the Jaspers' last victory coming in 2006 at Bahoshy, 10-7. The last time Fordham played at Manhattan was 2005, a 7-2 Rams victory.
 
Speed Kills
Graduate student Brianna Pinto is a perfect 17-for-17 in stolen base attempts this season and has been caught stealing just ONCE in her five-year career at Fordham, way back in April of her freshman season, and is now up to 77 for her career, four more than the previous record. Unsurprisingly, Pinto leads the Atlantic 10 on the basepaths, but nationally she sits 38^th in total steals and 32^nd with 0.59 thefts per contest.
 
#Dinger Watch
Redshirt senior Rachel Hubertus is on an absolute tear in recent weeks, currently with five straight games with a home run and now up to 12 on the year, easily leading the Atlantic 10 and 20^th in all of Division I. She has started surging up the all-time list and is now tied for seventh all-time, alongside Paige Ortiz ('15), with 34. Meanwhile, Julia Martine, with seven, and Bailey Enoch, with six, rank second and third, respectively, in the A-10. Put together, the Rams are 35^th nationally with 1.14 dingers per game.
 
Milestone Watch
Pinto became Fordham softball's all-time stolen base leader with her 74^th career steal at home in the series finale against Rhode Island. She is now up to 77 during her five seasons in the Bronx. Home runs aside, Hubertus is now just 10 RBIs away from joining that all-time top-10, as well, and has moved up to third all-time currently with a career .624 slugging percentage. The pair are also on pace to enter the top-10 for four-year batting average, as well, by season's end.
 
With her latest no-hitter, Devon Miller is now joint-seventh with nine career shutouts. She is also moving up the strikeout charts, now eighth with 280, and on Sunday moved into 10^th all-time with 23 career victories, as well.
 
Hubertus, Miller Garner A-10 Weekly Awards
Last week, Hubertus earned her second career weekly accolade from the conference, while Miller picked up her fourth career Pitcher nod. Read about their weekends here.
 
Makenzie McGrath Named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week
The senior earned her first weekly league accolade on February 15 after picking up both of the team's wins opening weekend, one in her fifth career complete game and one in relief. Read all about her stellar performances here.
 
A-10 Preseason Poll
The Rams were predicted to finish second in the annual Atlantic 10 preseason coaches poll. Fordham garnered 71 points and three first-place votes, finishing just three points shy of last year's champions, George Washington, who received four first-place votes, and ahead of Saint Joseph's, who earned the final two first-place votes and 55 total points. Read about it here.
 
D1Softball.com's Top 150
Junior pitcher and reigning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year Devon Miller was named by D1Softball.com as its 149^th-best player in the country heading into the season. You can read about it here, though it is a subscription-based website.
 
Up Next
Fordham hosts Kent State this Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.