Softball Heads to North Carolina for Queen City Classic - Fordham University Athletics (2024)

The Rams will take on Minnesota, UNC Wilmington, and nationally ranked Kentucky

CHARLOTTE, N.C.– Set for four games in the Tar Heel State this weekend, Fordham University softball heads to North Carolina for four games at the Queen City Classic.

On the Docket

The Rams will open the tournament Friday afternoon with two games against Minnesota at 12:00 p.m. and Kentucky at 3:00 p.m. that afternoon. Saturday will see the Rams play a single game against UNC Wilmington at 5:30 p.m. before closing the tournament Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. with a second game against Kentucky.

Running Through the Order

Eva Koratsis leads the Rams through the first 10 games of the year, tallying team best eight hits including three doubles, and sits second in RBIs with six. Sydney Wells has tallied a pair of home runs for Fordham, while leading in RBIs with seven.

Kate McGuire and Bailey Enoch each sit tied with Wells for the second most hits on the team with seven apiece. In the circle, Devon Miller has tallied a 1.73 ERA through 28.1 innings pitched, earning two wins while giving up just seven earned runs in six appearances.

Sunday at Sacred Heart

Playing just a single game Sunday afternoon, softball fell to Sacred Heart 7-1 Sunday afternoon. Tallying her first RBI of the 2024 campaign Bella Ayala would drive in Michaela Carter early in the day for the Rams.

Starting the game with three runs in the bottom of the first, Sacred Heart would take the lead but the Rams countered with an RBI single in the second. The Pioneers would add two more in the third and one in the fourth, before both sides were held off the board the rest of the way.

Miller Makes Headlines

Coming off a dominant weekend in the circle, Devon Miller was named the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 20. In 16.0 innings pitched at the Silicon Valley Classic this weekend, Miller gave up 10 hits and just one earned run, while striking out 10 batters, and earning the win in one of her two starts, a complete game victory over Santa Clara.

Scouting the Opponents

Minnesota enters the weekend 5-7 on the year coming off a 10-1 win over New Mexico on Sunday to close the UNT Invitational. The Golden Gophers also notched a pair of wins over UC Santa Barbara to kickoff the year, along with victories over #24/RV San Diego State early in the year, and against Georgia Tech the following week. Batting .463 in 41 plate appearances, Jess Oakland has rocked 19 hits including a pair of home runs, tallying a team best 10 RBIs and nine runs scored in 12 games.

Riding a five game winning streak, Kentucky enters play 11-2 and ranked in all four major national polls, placing as high as 14th in the USA Softball/ESPN.com and Softball America Top-25's. With 16 hits and 11 runs scored, Erin Coffel has helped lead the Wildcats order, hitting .372 with five home runs and 11 RBI's as well, all a team high. Both Stephanie Schoonover and Jaden Vickers are each sitting with a sub-2.00 ERA in 33.0 innings pitched respectively, combining for 10 of the Wildcats' 10 wins.

UNC Wilmington comes in 8-6, falling to Michigan State 10-6 last time out, but won back to back games over Providence and UMBC the week prior. Hitting .382 on the young season, Skylar Stockton has rattled 13 hits while scoring seven runs and tallying five RBI's.

What's On Deck

The Rams will close tournament action next weekend with a trip to Clemson, S.C. for five games at the Tiger Invitational.