BRONX, N.Y. – Hitting the road for the second weekend of Atlantic 10 conference action, Fordham University Softball heads to Missouri for a three-game series at Saint Louis.
Originally scheduled for a single game Sunday afternoon, inclement weather will move that game to Friday afternoon at 7:00 p.m. EDT, ahead of the doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1:00 p.m. EDT, with all games streaming live on ESPN+.
Stack 'Em Up
Fordham (11-14, 3-0 A-10) fell to RV Clemson Wednesday, 14-1, following a 4-0 week that saw them outscore their opponents 33-12, downing Hofstra in the home opener last Wednesday, 9-1, before sweeping Loyola Chicago in a three game series to open league play, 5-2 and 7-4 Saturday, and 12-5 on Sunday afternoon.
After recording just 30 through the first 14 games of the season, Fordham has scored 72 runs in its last 10 games heading into Wednesday, scattering 93 hits and drawing 40 walks, hitting .332 as a team and slugging .500, with eight players hitting .310 or better over that span.
Last week alone saw 33 runs on 43 hits and 18 walks, bashing three home runs while hitting .398 as a team and slugging .611 with a .480 on-base percentage. Over the last 11 games the Rams have sent out nine home runs, only posting three games over that span without a ball leaving the yard off a Fordham bat.
Neleh Nogay stole five bases in six attempts, including tying a program record with four stolen bases in four tries in game two Saturday against Loyola Chicago, leading the team with eight hits on the week. Erin Hoppe led the way with seven runs scored, while Nicki Sudall drove in six RBIs, including a grand slam in game two as well.
Leading the Lineup
On the season Nogay leads the Rams with 34 hits, batting .374, driving in 11 RBIs and scoring 19 runs, while going 19-for-21 on stolen base attempts thus far, just three away from her career best from last season when she went 22-for-24. Eva Koratsis is hitting .338 with 24 hits, driving in 15 RBIs with 10 runs scored, second on the team in runs batted in, ahead of Sydney Wells who's brought in 17 RBIs while scattering 20 hits and drawing a team high 16 walks.
Center Circle
Emilee Watkins holds a 4-4 record on the season, starting six of the last 11 games for Fordham, posting three wins in 32.0 innings pitched, allowing 18 earned runs while striking out 16 batters over that span.
Holly Beeman holds a 5-2 record on the year with a 1.92 ERA, tossing seven complete games in eight appearances, and has claimed a pair of A-10 Pitcher of the Week awards in the second and third week of the year.
Clemson Recap
The Maroon and White led off the game Wednesday with a 1-2-3 first inning from Emilee Watkins, before Sydney Wells gave the Rams the lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the frame. Clemson battled back with three runs in the second and poured on eight runs in the third to take a commanding lead, and never looked back adding runs in the fourth and fifth, before shutting down the Rams to take the game by run rule, 14-1 in five innings.
Series History
The Rams hold a 30-14 all-time record against Saint Louis, but it was the Billikens take 2-of-3 games when they met a year ago in The Bronx, with Fordham taking the opener of that series 3-2. Saint Louis has won five of six games against the Rams in the last two seasons, after the Rams had won eight of nine prior to that stretch.
Non-Conference Offerings
Facing six opponents that reached an NCAA Regional last season, the 2025 calendar sees Fordham play 51 games against teams from 14 different conferences including the A-10, with 19 tournament games against 10 different opponents on the non-conference side of the schedule.
Fordham will also play five additional midweek non-league games throughout March and April, mixed into a nine-team, 26-game Atlantic 10 slate. The Rams previously took on Hofstra last Wednesday and Clemson earlier this week, ahead of midweek games at St. John's (Mar. 26), vs. Stony Brook (Apr. 2), and vs. LIU (Apr. 16) the rest of the year.
Scouting Saint Louis
At 10-16 on the year, Saint Louis defeated Lindenwood 11-3 in six innings last timeout on Wednesday, after dropping their opening A-10 series in a sweep at Dayton last weekend. With a trio of player hitting over .300, Abby Mallo and Jane Kaniecki lead the Billikens with 25 hits apiece, while Mallo also leads with 27 RBIs.
What's Next?
Having already defeated teams from Long Island and The Bronx this season, the Maroon and White head across the Whitestone into Queens next week, battling for New York bragging rights in The World's Borough, this time taking on St. John's in a single game Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.
