The Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team fell in a pair of games to open competition at the UMBC Retriever Classic. The Knights (2-4) dropped the first game to Brown, 7-5, before falling to host UMBC, 6-5.
In the first game of the day, the Knights fell behind 4-0 early as Brown scored three runs in the second inning and tacked on another one in the third. In the bottom of the third inning, Elizabeth Woidt starting things off with a one-out single through the right side, advancing to second and third on passed balls. She scored on a wild pitch to put FDU on the board. Brianne Benedict (Alliance, OH/West Branch) drew a walk and Lauren Hamilton (Woodinville, WA/Woodinville) singled through the left side before Mikayla Fernandez (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) singled up the middle to plate Benedict. Maire Shaughnesy had an RBI walk to score Hamilton and bring the Knights within one, 4-3.
The tight one-run game remained through the next three innings as both teams were unable to put up any more runs. But Brown broke through in the top of the seventh inning with a trio of runs to grab hold of a 7-3 advantage.
FDU added a pair in the bottom of the inning, staging a comeback, but it wasn't enough as the Bears took the 7-5 victory. With two outs, Hamilton's doubled down the right field line to score a run and Fernandez doubled to left center to score a run.
Hamilton finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Fernandez was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI.
Caitlin Bradac (Garden Grove, CA/Garden Grove) was charged with the loss, despite striking out six in seven innings.
In the second game, the Knights fell to host UMBC by one run. UMBC scored two in the second inning and added another in the third for the 3-0 edge. But the Knights came back with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. Fernandez's hot bat continued as she singled to center field to lead off the inning. Bradac singled up the middle and Kirsten Shreve (Kent, WA/Kentwood) doubled to center field to score both.
UMBC picked up three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. But Fairleigh Dickinson was able to score three of its own in the top of the seventh. The Knights rallied with two outs as Benedict singled and Kristen Kinneer (Pottstown, PA/St. Peter's) walked. Fernandez reached on an error and Kinneer and Benedict both scored. Bradac's single to right field pushed Fernandez across the plate to make it a 6-5 game, but that was as close as FDU would get.
Bradac was 2-for-3 and Shreve finished 2-for-3.
"We had some moments," said Head Coach Dale Martin. "We fought back, which was really good. We have to maintain consistency with our execution."
The Knights will continue competition at the UMBC Retriever Classic on Sunday, March 7, 2010.
