CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | BRACKET | BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS

BRONX, N.Y. – Second-seeded Fordham advanced to its sixth straight Atlantic 10 Softball Championship Final with a 4-1 win over top-seeded Massachusetts Friday at Bahoshy Field on the campus of Fordham University.

The Rams (32-21) will play the consolation bracket winner on Saturday at 1:00 pm. UMass (34-13) falls into the consolation bracket and will play the winner of the No. 3 Dayton/No. 5 Saint Louis game this evening at 5:00 pm. The Flyers and Billikens play at 2:30 pm.

Madie Aughinbaugh started in the circle for the Rams and picked up her 15th win of the season. Aughinbaugh pitched seven innings, allowing one earned run on six hits and just one walk. Massachusetts’ Kiara Oliver (17-4) received the loss. She pitched three innings, giving up two runs on seven hits.

After a Madi Shaw double to left field, Skylar Johnston gave the Rams an early 1-0 lead with an RBI single through the right side, scoring Shaw all the way from second.
Erin Stacevicz responded for the Minutewomen in the bottom of the third. With Jackie Kelley standing on second after pinch running for Hannah Bunker, Stacevicz knocked a single through the left side, which scored Kelley from second, knotting the score at one.

After back-to-back singles from Aughinbaugh and Maria Trivelpiece, Brianna Pinto gave Fordham a 2-1 advantage with her RBI single. Oliver was pulled after Pinto’s single.
Meg Colleran replaced Oliver and quickly faced a bases-loaded situation. Fordham’s Paige Rauch was able to draw the bases loaded walk, pushing the Rams lead to 3-1.

Rauch added another RBI in the sixth when she hit a two-out solo home run to center field.