The Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team split a doubleheader at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI on Sunday afternoon, winning the first game 5-3, before falling 7-5 in the second game. Fairleigh Dickinson is now 10-20 on the season, including 2-6 in Northeast Conference play, while the Bulldogs move to 4-27 overall and 1-9 in league action.
In the first game, the Knights got on the board early. Mikayla Fernandez (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) started things with a two-out walk before stealing second. Caitlin Bradac (Garden Grove, CA/Garden Grove) reached on an error, and Fernandez scored to give FDU the 1-0 lead.
Bryant tied it up with a run in the bottom of the third, but FDU had an offensive outburst with a four-run fourth inning to regain the lead.
Bradac led off with a single to right center and Maire Shaughnessy (Culpeper, Va./Highland) singled to right field. Brianne Benedict (Alliance, OH/West Branch) reached on an error and Kristen Coughlan (Mount Royal, NJ/Kingsway) reached on a fielder's choice. Lauren Hamilton (Woodinville, WA/Woodinville) knocked in two runs as she reached on an error and Kristen Kinneer (Pottstown, PA/St. Peter's)'s single to center field plated Hamilton and Coughlan.
Bryant added a run in the bottom of the fourth and one in the sixth inning, but that was as close as they would get, as the Knights took the 5-3 victory.
Bradac earned the win on the mound to improve to 8-4 this season. She scattered seven hits in seven innings, striking out five.
Kinneer went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Hamilton finished the game 0-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI.
The Knights again jumped out to an early lead, putting a run on the board in the top of the first inning. Kirsten Shreve (Kent, WA/Kentwood) tripled to right center and a single from Kinneer pushed her across the plate.
The score remained 1-0 for four innings, until FDU added a pair of runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to grab a 5-0 advantage heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. Benedict tripled to right center and a sacrifice hit from Hamilton, who was pinch hitting, scored her. Elizabeth Woidt, who singled up the middle to get on base, scored to add to the Knights' lead.
In the sixth inning, Benedict's single to center field scored Alex Schubert and Allaire Primiano (Tarrytown, NY/Sleepy Hollow). But a seven-run sixth inning gave Bryant a lead that the Knights were unable to overcome.
Benedict led the team in the second game offensively, going 3-for-3 with two RBI. Kinneer finished the day 3-for7 with three RBI.
