The Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team hosted a non-conference doubleheader against Columbia on Tuesday afternoon, dropping the first game 12-8 before bouncing back to win the nightcap, 5-2. The Knights are now 11-21 on the season, while the Lions move to 9-22.
With two outs and the bases loaded, Christie Taylor had a three-RBI double to right field to put the Lions ahead in the top of the first inning in the first game.
In the bottom half of the inning, Kristen Kinneer (Pottstown, PA/St. Peter's) started things off for the Knights with a one-out single and was plated with a double from Mikayla Fernandez (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo). Fernandez scored on a single by Caitlin Bradac (Garden Grove, CA/Garden Grove) to make it a one-run game.
The Lions put up eight runs in the fourth inning, including Kayla Lechler's grand slam, to take a comfortable 11-2 advantage. But FDU fought back in the bottom of the inning with four runs to make it 11-6.
The Knights added a run in the bottom of the fifth and Maire Shaughnessy (Culpeper, Va./Highland) hit her second home run of the season over the center field fence in the bottom of the seventh inning, but it wasn't enough as the Lions took a 12-8 win.
Kinneer finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Fernandez was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. Brianne Benedict (Alliance, OH/West Branch) and Shaughnessy also added 2-for-4 efforts.
In the second game, the Knights opened the scoring after two and a half scoreless innings. Kinneer's double pushed Kara Boyd (Alexandria, PA/Juniata Valley) across the plate, who had a double to lead off the inning. Fernandez had a two-run shot to give FDU a three-run lead.
In the fourth inning, Kirsten Shreve (Kent, WA/Kentwood), on the mound for the Knights, sent a two-run shot over the center field fence. Taylor had an RBI double to push two runs across the plate for the Lions, making it a 5-2 game in the top of the sixth.
Shreve earned the win for Fairleigh Dickinson, scattering five hits and allowing one earned run. She struck out four and walked one.
The Knights' five runs came off of 10 hits. Boyd finished the game 3-for-3 with two runs scored, while Alex Schubert was 2-for-3. Fernandez and Shreve each knocked in two runs.
"I thought that we played well in both games," said Head Coach Dale Martin."In the first game we gave up a big inning, but the girls bounced back well and that translated into winning the second game. Kirsten pitched a very solid game; we had key hits and played well defensively. It was good to see Maire, Mikayla and Kirsten's home runs, to see them hit the ball well."
The Knights are back in action at Fordham on April 14 in a doubleheader starting at 3:00 p.m.
