Published: April 15, 2010

From the looks of the Fordham University softball team before its double header against Manhattan College on April 6, you’d have no idea that the Rams had just ended an eight-game winning streak with back-to-back close losses to the nationally-ranked University of Massachusetts over the weekend.

Infielder/pitcher Beckah Wiggins, infielder/outfielder Erin Fisher and infielder/outfielder Jocelyn Dearborn were nothing but energized, dancing in front of the dugout before the games began. This team can keep their heads high despite the losses, and they are considered by some observers to be one of the premier softball teams in the nation.

The Rams are pushing for their first spot in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll and have received their first ever in-season votes for such an honor. From March 21 to April 1, Fordham beat their opponents (James Madison, St. Peters, Dayton, St. Johns and Rhode Island) in eight straight games by a dominating combined score of 72-8.

The Rams have had very solid pitching throughout the season from Jen Mineau, FCRH ’12, who’s 0.72 ERA is third best in the nation. She also leads the Atlantic 10 in wins, having recorded 18 of the team’s total of 28. Mineau currently has 460 strikeouts. Reaching 500 would put her on a short list of the greatest softball players in school history.

“I should probably have more at this point,” Mineau said. “The real goal is 1,000.” Fordham softball has seen only three perfect games in its history, two of which came last season from the arm of Mineau, the closest thing to a perfect pitcher the Rams have seen.

Yet even with Mineau’s success, at least for one day her teammate, pitcher Chelsea Plimpton, FCRH ’11, outshone her on the mound, throwing a one-hit game against Manhattan College in the first leg of a doubleheader. She also tied her own career best with 11 strikeouts in the same game, a 7-0 win against the Jaspers. “It’s probably the best I’ve thrown all season,” Plimpton said after the game.

While the pitching has been great, the Rams have also been swinging the bats well lately. Their 191 runs scored and 33 homeruns are best in the A-10, and their .294 team batting is second in the conference.

Beckah Wiggins, FCRH ’11, was recently on one of the hottest hitting streaks in the country. Wiggins recieved A-10 Player of the Week honors, and was also mentioned in the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Player of the Week voting after a 20 RBI week with five homeruns (including two grand slams) and a batting average of .813 in 16 at bats.

Infielder/outfielder Erin Fisher, FCRH ’10, the only senior on the squad, has been the Rams’ other big bat. She leads the team in homeruns and has been having a party behind the plate. Fisher hit a huge opposite field grand slam into the wind to preserve Plimpton’s win against Manhattan. Hits like that and wins like the Rams have been racking up recently seem to have everyone in the stands questioning when the mercy rule comes in.

The Rams are in the midst of an 11-game home stand, their longest of the season and are currently 4-2 in the Atlantic 10 and 28-8 overall.