The Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team bounced back to defeat Mount St. Mary's, 5-4, after dropping the first game versus the Mountaineers, 8-1, in a Northeast Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
After Taylor Beebe walked to leadoff the game and Courtney Zingle reached on a fielding error, Liz Christiansen sent a shot over the right field fence to put the Mountaineers (24-23, 6-10 NEC) ahead, 3-0.
FDU (14-30, 4-12 NEC) loaded the bases in the fourth inning as Lauren Hamilton (Woodinville, WA/Woodinville) drew a walk, Brianne Benedict (Alliance, OH/West Branch) reached on a fielder's choice and Alex Schubert and Maire Shaughnessy (Culpeper, Va./Highland) had back-to-back singles. Kirsten Shreve (Kent, WA/Kentwood) roped one up the middle for an RBI to put the Knights on the board.
Christiansen had an RBI double to plate Beebe, who was on first, to add to the Mount's lead in the top of the fifth inning and Lisa Curreri's home run in the top of the sixth made it a 5-1 game.
Beth Everist's three-run shot to center field in the top of the seventh plated Beebe and Zingle after each had singles; giving Mount St. Mary's the 8-1 edge.
Caitlin Bradac (Garden Grove, CA/Garden Grove) pitched 6.1 innings, striking out seven, while Amanda Sadowl got the win for the Mount, allowing one earned run in seven innings, despite only one strikeout.
Mikayla Fernandez (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) went 2-for-4, while Maire Shaughnessy (Culpeper, Va./Highland) was 2-for-2 with a walk to lead FDU's offense.
In the second game, the Mountaineers struck first again as Everist's RBI single to left field pushed Beebe across the plate.
Erin Leddy's shot hit the scoreboard in left field to give the Mount another run in the second, but Benedict hit a long single that landed just inside the fence and was sent home by a hard-hit single to right center from Dana Walker (Middletown, DE/St. Marks) in the bottom of the fourth inning, tying the game.
Shreve drew a walk to load the bases and Kristen Kinneer (Pottstown, PA/St. Peter's) singled through the right side to send Maire Shaughnessy (Culpeper, Va./Highland) home to tie the game. The Knights took the 4-2 lead on a two-run single through the left side by Fernandez.
The game was tied again, 4-4, as Mount St. Mary's put up two runs in the top of the fifth inning. But the Knights responded in the bottom half of the inning as Walker's single fell behind the first baseman and Benedict scored from second to put FDU ahead, 5-4.
The Knights scored five runs on 11 hits, while Mount St. Mary's had seven hits. Shreve scattered five hits in five innings, while Bradac earned the win, pitching two innings of relief, holding the Mountaineers scoreless and allowing two hits.
Fernandez was 3-for-3 with two RBI and a walk, while Walker was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and Benedict and Kinneer were each 2-for-4.
"I think the second game was definitely a team effort with timely hitting and solid pitching from both Kirsten and Caitlin," said Head Coach Dale Martin. "We played good, solid defense and I think that the team did a good job of keeping their energy up even in the heat and bouncing back after losing the first game."
The Knights will host Central Connecticut State University on Sunday, May 2 in a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m. Seniors Kristen Coughlan (Mount Royal, NJ/Kingsway), Kristen Kinneer (Pottstown, PA/St. Peter's), Trina Fields (Norridge, IL/Ridgewood) and Lindsay Glidden (Peachtree City, GA/Starr's Mill) will be honored prior to the start of the second game.
