The Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team dropped two games as it opened the season at the UMBC Dawg Pound Tournament at UMBC Softball Stadium on Friday, March 6. The Knights fell to Seton Hall, 11-0, as Ashley Forsyth pitched a no-hitter, before falling to host UMBC, 10-2.

In the first game, the Pirates got on the board first as Kristen Kaelin plated Michelle Reed, who reached on an error, in the top of the first inning.  Seton Hall added to its lead in the second inning with an RBI double by Shannon Pease.

After SHU took a 3-0 lead, freshman Caitlin Bradac (Garden Grove, CA/Garden Grove) used back-to-back strikeouts to get the Knights out of the second inning with two runners in scoring position. In her first start with the Knights, Bradac allowed five earned runs in four innings, while recording seven strikeouts and junior Trina Fields (Norridge, IL/Ridgewood) struck out one in an inning of work.

The Pirates tacked on three more runs in the third and five in the fourth inning for the 11-0 win.

UMBC took a lead early in the second game off a two-run home run by Amanda Fefel in the first.  Freshman Kirsten Shreve (Kent, WA/Kentwood) got the Knights' first hit of the day, a double to left center in the third inning. Senior Ali Keltos (Shelton, CT/Lauralton Hall) followed with a hard hit grounder to the shortstop and sophomore Brianne Benedict (Alliance, OH/West Branch) drew a walk to load the bases with only one out.  A wild pitch helped Shreve cross the plate to make it a 3-1 game.

Shreve's leadoff walk started things off in the fifth inning as Keltos knocked in a single and Benedict advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt. Senior Meghan Doherty (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) drew a walk and freshman Lauren Hamilton (Woodinville, WA/Woodinville)'s fly to right field pushed Shreve across the plate, making it a one-run game (3-2).

The Retrievers started broke open the game in the fifth inning, as a two-run shot by Julia Culotta gave them a 5-2 lead. UMBC was able to add five more runs to take the 10-2 win, ending the game in five innings.

Keltos finished the game 2-for-2, while Shreve was 1-for-1.  Shreve, on the mound for the first time, allowed eight earned runs and struck out three.

 FDU continues competition in the tournament on Saturday, March 7 when it plays Drexel at 11:00 a.m.