The Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team was swept at Rutgers, falling in a doubleheader, 4-3 and 11-3, on Thursday afternoon. The Knights are now 9-33, while the Scarlet Knights improve to 20-29.
After two innings of the first game, the two teams were tied 1-1, as Trina Fields (Norridge, IL/Ridgewood) started things off in the second inning with a two-out walk. Kim Carbaugh (Johnstown, PA/Richland) doubled to right center to put the Knights on the board, but Rutgers came back in the bottom of the inning with a home run.
Rutgers took a 2-1 lead on a sacrifice fly in the third inning, but the Knights picked up two runs in the fourth inning as Lindsay Glidden (Peachtree City, GA/Starr's Mill) singled up the middle and Fields homered to score them both.
FDU held the 3-2 lead until the bottom of the seventh, when Rutgers scored twice to take the 4-3 win.
Field scattered eight hits in six innings, striking out seven.
In the second game, FDU scored in the top of the first inning as Lauren Hamilton (Woodinville, WA/Woodinville) belted a two-out home run over the center field fence.
The Scarlet Knights responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to take the 2-1 lead. RU added two more runs in the bottom of the second, but the Knights scored two in the top of the third to make it a 4-3 game. Brianne Benedict (Alliance, OH/West Branch) started things off with a single up the middle and then stole second. Meghan Doherty (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) singled through the left side and Hamilton's RBI single plated Benedict. Bradac singled to third base and Kirsten Shreve (Kent, WA/Kentwood)'s sacrifice fly pushed Doherty across the plate.
But Rutgers added two runs in the bottom of the third, three in the fourth and two more in the fifth to seal the 11-3 win.
Hamilton finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI and Caitlin Bradac (Garden Grove, CA/Garden Grove) was 2-for-3.
"Trina pitched a really good game and had really good hitting, but we gave back the lead in the bottom of the seventh," said Head Coach Dale Martin. "The highlight of the second game in Lauren's solo home run, the first of her college career. We just made too many mistakes and they capitalized on that."
