The Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team dominated Morgan State in the first game of the day, 9-1, before posting a second victory against MSU in the consolation game of the UMBC Retrievers Classic, 6-4, on Sunday in Baltimore, MD. The Knights improve to 4-4 this season.
The Knights started early with a run in the first inning of the first game as Mikayla Fernandez (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) had an RBI single to score Brianne Benedict (Alliance, OH/West Branch). FDU added four runs in the third inning, including a home run from Caitlin Bradac (Garden Grove, CA/Garden Grove).
In the fourth inning, Fairleigh Dickinson added three runs; with two coming from a Fernandez double to center field.
Morgan State put one run on the board in the fifth inning, but the Knights sealed the win with a one-run sixth inning on an RBI single from Lauren Hamilton (Woodinville, WA/Woodinville).
Benedict, Fernandez and Hamilton were 2-for-3; Benedict scored three runs, Hamilton scored twice with a pair of RBI and Fernandez batted in four runs. Maire Shaughnessy (Culpeper, Va./Highland) went 2-for-4.
Kirsten Shreve (Kent, WA/Kentwood) pitched a two-hitter to take the win, allowing no earned runs in six innings, striking out four. The Knights scored nine runs on 10 hits.
In the rematch on Sunday afternoon, there was a much tighter game as Morgan State got on the board first with two runs in the first inning. In the bottom of the second, the Knights responded with three runs, started off by a two-out home run by Alex Schubert.
Schubert started the offensive momentum, as Kristen Kinneer (Pottstown, PA/St. Peter's) and Dana Walker (Middletown, DE/St. Marks) had back-to-back singles and both advanced on a passed ball. They scored when Benedict doubled to center field to give FDU the advantage against MSU.
Morgan State added a pair of runs in the top of the third inning to regain the lead, 4-3, but a three-run sixth inning gave the Knights the advantage and the FDU defense held off Morgan State in the top of the seventh for the win.
Shaughnessy began the rally in the sixth inning with a double to right center before Schubert earned a walk. Walker doubled down the left field line to push Shaughnessy across the plate. Kinneer's sacrifice fly plated designated runner Kristen Coughlan (Mount Royal, NJ/Kingsway) and Benedict singled to right field to score Walker.
Walker was 2-for-3, while Benedict was 2-for-4, to finish the day 4-for-7. Bradac took the win on the mound, allowing only one walk while striking out 14 in seven innings.
The Knights are back in action at the Rebel Spring Games, March 14-20, in Kissimmee, Florida.
