Second-Seeded Softball Heads to George Mason for 2022 A-10 Championship

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Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham softball (27-19, 15-7) returns to George Mason for the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championship this week, the site of the program's 2017 title. The second-seeded Rams will take on third-seeded Saint Joseph's (23-21, 14-8) on Thursday, May 12, at 2:30 p.m.
 
Lace Up For Pediatric Cancer
The Rams continue to lace up their cleats in gold in support with the Go4theGoal Foundation to raise funds and awareness for children battling cancer in their communities. Having a child with cancer is a huge financial burden for many families, and the pandemic has made their individual situations even more dire. Please continue to help us show these kids and their families that they don't have to fight alone by making a donation to our page via the link above or below! 
 
All funds raised will be used to improve the lives of kids battling cancer by providing financial assistance, funding innovative research, developing and implementing unique hospital programs, and granting personal wishes. Please consider making a donation through our page.
 
Five Rams Placed on Four All-Conference Squads
The Atlantic 10 announced its year-end awards on Tuesday and five Rams garnered accolades – Enoch to the First Team, Pinto on the Second Team, Clark and Wells on the Rookie team, and Hubertus with All-Academic. Read all about it here.
 
Dylan Takes the Field with Fordham Softball
WFUV softball broadcaster Dylan Balsamo spent several practices with the Rams, trying to get an inside look of how the team prepares while +taking part in several drills. Key word being 'try'. Check out what transpired, plus chats with coach Inouye and Makenzie McGrath.
 
Last Time Out
Fordham clinched the second seed with Sunday's split with Dayton, a tough 7-6 loss in game one followed by a 6-3 win in game two. Read about it and check out the Senior Day ceremony gallery here.
 
Last Time Mason Hosted the A-10 Championship
George Mason hosted the Championship in 2017 and, like that week, rain is in the forecast this time around, too. Five years ago, the rain pushed the tournament back a couple days and the Rams defeated Saint Louis and UMass to book a spot in the championship game on Sunday against the Minutewomen. UMass rallied against Lauren Quense, scoring two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to win, 3-2, and force a sudden death championship. Capping an exhilarating day, Fordham won, 2-1, in the ninth inning on freshman Madie Aughinbaugh's walk-off single to right to score fellow freshman Chelsea Skrepenak from second. Aughinbaugh, in her first career postseason appearance, allowed one unearned first-inning run in an eventual nine-inning complete game. It was Fordham's sixth league title and fifth in a row at the time. Read about that day here.
 
Series History vs. Saint Joseph's
In one of Fordham's oldest rivalries, the Rams lead all-time 41-36 since entering the Atlantic 10 in 1996. The Hawks dominated the early portion of the series before Fordham began to turn the tide around the 2008 season. It's been back-and-forth over the last three seasons but most recently Saint Joseph's took two out of three at Bahoshy Field in April, with Bailey Enoch throwing her first career shutout in the win.
 
#Dinger Watch
Rachel Hubertus is now up to 16 home runs on the season, tied for 2^nd-most in a season and easily leading the Atlantic 10 by six. That number sits 29^th in all of Division I and 23^rd with 0.35 per game. Hubertus remains solo fifth all-time, recently passing Katie Davis ('06) and Erin Fisher ('10), with 38 for her career. Meanwhile, Julia Martine, with nine, is close behind in third in the league, and Bailey Enoch, with six, sits in a tie for sixth.. Put together, the Rams are 49^th nationally with 1.00 dingers per game.
 
Speed Kills
Graduate student Brianna Pinto is a perfect 25-for-25 in stolen base attempts this season, fifth-most in a single campaign, and has been caught stealing just ONCE in her five-year career at Fordham, way back in April of her freshman season. She is now up to 85 for her career, 12 more than the previous record set by Krystle Henry in 2007. Unsurprisingly, Pinto leads the Atlantic 10 on the basepaths, by seven, but is also nationally 39^th in total steals and 30^th with 0.58 thefts per contest.
 
Chiefs of Staff
In the circle, Fordham is tops in the Atlantic 10 in team ERA (2.73), 58^th nationally, and opposite average (.245), second with seven shutouts, and is second with 244 strikeouts. Freshman Emilee Watkins holds the lowest ERA on the staff, 2.25, across 28 innings with a 2-1 record, but among qualified pitchers in the league, Makenzie McGrath, Devon Miller, and Bailey Enoch sit joint-second, eighth, and ninth in ERA at 2.29, 3.00, and 3.25, respectively. Miller's 100 strikeouts rank sixth in the league, while McGrath's 76 sit 11^th, as well.
 
Last 10
The Rams are 8-2 over their last 10 games, thanks in part to more tremendous pitching (1.00 ERA) and an offense-wide .273/.329/.409 slash line. In the circle, all four pitchers hold an ERA under 2 during this span, with Watkins scoreless in her lone appearance followed by McGrath (0.72) and Enoch (0.79). with marks of 0.88 and 0.94, respectively. Enoch is also leading the offense over this span, slashing .400/.514/.567, with Rachel Hubertus' three home runs providing the power and Michaela Carter hitting .343 with a team-high 10 runs. Sydney Wells has also provided a spark over her five starts and 16 plate appearances, hitting .400 with a home run.
 
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 on March 27^th. She is now up to 85 during her five seasons in the Bronx. Home runs aside, Hubertus just entered the all-time top-10 for career RBIs, with 119, now passing Paige Ortiz ('12) for ninth all-time. She is also fifth with a .605 slugging percentage.
 
Devon Miller became the seventh Ram to reach 300 career strikeouts over the weekend, up to 305, and is also solo seventh with 10 career shutouts and 10^th with 26 career victories.  
 
Up Next
A win means a trip to Friday's first game, taking on the winner of #1 George Washington and #4 Saint Louis at noon. A loss and a George Washington loss would mean taking on the winner of Dayton and the loser of Saint Joseph's/UMass from Wednesday evening. A loss and a Saint Louis loss would mean playing in game two on Friday. Stay tuned for updated info or head to the top link to the A-10 Championship page.