The Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team fell to visiting Quinnipiac on Saturday evening, dropping the first game 7-4 before falling in the nightcap, 3-1, to close out the season. The Knights fall to 16-32 for the season, with a 6-14 mark in Northeast Conference play, while the Bobcats improve to 28-22 overall with a 15-5 record in league action.
Quinnipiac put a run up to start the game, but the Knights responded in the bottom half of the first inning as Mikayla Fernandez (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo), who leads the team batting .326, plated Kirsten Shreve (Kent, WA/Kentwood) on an RBI single.
The Bobcats broke the 1-1 tie in the top of the second as they grabbed hold of a 2-1 lead, but the Knights surged ahead, picking up a pair of runs as Lauren Hamilton (Woodinville, WA/Woodinville) sent a double through the right side and with two outs, Shreve doubled down the left field line to push her across the plate. Shreve scored on Kristen Kinneer (Pottstown, PA/St. Peter's)'s double to give FDU a 3-2 edge.
But Quinnipiac's offense didn't let up as the team added one in the top of the third and posted a four-run fourth inning to take a 7-3 advantage.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, down three runs, Shreve started the Knights off with a triple down the right line. She scored on a groundout by Fernandez, but Fairleigh Dickinson was unable to get any closer as QU took the win.
Caitlin Bradac (Garden Grove, CA/Garden Grove) pitched a complete game, striking out four. Shreve went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI, while Fernandez pushed two across the plate.
After five scoreless innings in the second game, the Bobcats were the first to strike as Alejandra Alba smacked an RBI single to right field. With one out and the bases loaded, Shreve, who allowed only three hits in the first five innings, worked out of a jam to end the inning.
In the sixth inning, Brianne Benedict (Alliance, OH/West Branch) reached on a fielding error and stole second. Kristen Coughlan (Mount Royal, NJ/Kingsway) had a clutch hit, smacking one through the left side to plate Benedict and tie the game heading into the final inning.
A two-run shot down the left field line from Alba put the Bobcats ahead in the top of the seventh, giving them the 3-1 win.
Heather Schwartzburg, on the mound for the Bobcats, gave up three hits and struck out five to earn her ninth win of the season. Coughlan and Hamilton went 1-for-3, while Liz Woidt (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) was 1-for-2.
The Knights close out the regular season in ninth place in the league. After sweeping a conference doubleheader against Central Connecticut on May 2, the Knights posted a program-high 16 wins for the 2010 season.
