The Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team split a pair of games at Northeast Conference pre-season favorite, Robert Morris, Sunday, April 1 in Moon Twp., PA. The Knights improve to 17-6 on the season with a 3-1 NEC record.
FDU earned the win in game one with a 2-0 shutout but fell in an offensive battle, 11-12, in game two.
Freshman Megan Reiner (Los Angeles, Calif./John Marshall) led the Knights in game one, allowing no runs in just three hits in the complete game. Reiner maintained a no-hitter through five innings. She struck out six batters and walked just one to earn her 11th win of the season.
After three scoreless innings for both teams, Jordan Needle (Camarillo, CA/La Reina College Prep) started the fourth inning off with a single down the left-field line. After a double by Bryana Dorado (Oxnard, Calif./Oxnard) put runners on second and third, Kirsten Shreve (Kent, WA/Kentwood) knocked a two-run double down the left-field line to put the Knights up 2-0.
The Knights held the Colonials scoreless through the rest of the game to take the win, 2-0.
Game two was an offensive battle with the teams combining for a total 25 hits through seven innings.
Robert Morris took a 0-2 lead in the bottom of the first on a homerun to center field. The Knights responded with four runs in the third on a string of four hits and an RMU error.
The Colonials added another run in the third with a homerun to left center field.
In the fourth inning, the Knights' bats exploded for five runs. Cindy Zamudio (Wilmington, Calif./Redondo Union) singled through the left side before Caitlin Bradac (Garden Grove, CA/Garden Grove) doubled to center field to drive Zamudio home. A walk and an infield error loaded the bases for Maria Roney (Anacortes, WA/Anacortes). A double down the left-field line by Roney gave the Knights three more runs. A single from Shreve gave FDU a 9-3 lead after four innings.
The Colonials responded with heavy bats of their own in the bottom of the fourth. With four runs and two errors, RMU compiled 6 runs to tie the game at nine.
A two-run double by Needle extended the Knights' total to 11 runs but the Colonials were not finished scoring. A two-run homerun to left-center field enabled RMU to take their final lead, 11-12, in the sixth inning.
Bradac, Needle and Dorado each had one RBI for FDU, while Needle added two. Roney and Shreve led the Knights with three RBIs each.
Marie Shaughnessy earned the loss in game two. She allowed three earned runs on three hits. She struck out two and walked four in three innings of work.
“Megan [Reiner] pitched very well and we played great defense in game one, and we hit the ball well in game two,” said Head Coach Dale Martin. “But it is critical that we put all three components together in conference play.”
The Knights will take on Saint Francis PA in a double header on Monday. First-pitch is slated for noon in Loretto, PA.
