The Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team split a pair of games at the Norfolk State Spartan Classic on Sunday, defeating Rider 10-7 before falling to Iona, 10-7.
In the first game of the day against Rider, the Knights put up a trio of runs in the second and third innings to take an early 6-0 lead. After Rider put a run on the board in the top of the fourth, the Knights added four more runs in the bottom of the inning for the dominating 10-1 advantage.
A pair of runs by the Broncs in the fifth inning and four more in the seventh made it a three-run game, but it wasn't enough as the Knights took the 10-7 win.
Kirsten Shreve (Kent, WA/Kentwood) was 2-for-4. Mikayla Fernandez (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Caitlin Bradac (Garden Grove, CA/Garden Grove) was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Kristen Kinneer (Pottstown, PA/St. Peter's) went 3-for-3 with four RBI to lead the Knights' offense.
Bradac earned the win on the mound to improve to 2-0 this season. She struck out two in seven innings.
FDU fell behind early in the second game against Iona, as the Gaels scored six runs over the first three innings. But the Knights were able to cut the deficit in half with a three-run third inning as Kinneer scored on a passed ball, Trina Fields (Norridge, IL/Ridgewood) had an RBI double and Allaire Primiano (Tarrytown, NY/Sleepy Hollow)'s walk brought Fields across the plate.
But Iona put three more runs on the board in the fourth inning and tacked on a pair in the fifth. FDU posted another three-run inning in the bottom of the fifth as Fields kept the offensive momentum with a one-out single to center field and advanced to second. Alex Schubert's double to right field sent three across the plate, making it an 11-6 game.
The Knights added another run the following inning as Kara Boyd (Alexandria, PA/Juniata Valley) reached on a fielding error, sending Elizabeth Woidt home after smacking a double to right field. The Knights added another run in the bottom of the sixth and the Gaels added a run in the top of the seventh to make the final 12-7.
Iona finished the game with 12 runs on 12 hits, while the Knights had seven runs on six hits. FDU was perfect in the field, but the Gaels committed four errors. Fields finished the game 2-for-2 to lead the Knights.
