KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team earned another split on Friday, March 15 at the Rebel Spring Games.  The Knights defeated Green Bay, 2-1, in their first game of the day and fell to Utah Valley, 2-1, in extra innings in the afternoon session.  The Knights are now 8-8 on the year.

The Phoenix pressured the Knights early in the game and drove in one run in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead. After scoring the run, Green Bay continued to challenge and loaded the bases with two outs.  Starting pitcher Maire Shaughnessy (Culpeper, Va./Highland) forced a fly out to end the inning with three runners on.

The Knights mounted and immediate comeback in the bottom of the first inning.  Freshman Julia Northcutt (Irvine, Calif./Northwood High School) doubled to start the inning and moved to third on a ground out.  Sophomore Bryana Dorado (Oxnard, Calif./Oxnard) drove Northcutt home on a deep single to center field to tie the contest at one run each.

In the top of the fourth inning, freshman Courtney Slye (Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley High School) gave the Knights a 2-1 advantage on a homerun over the centerfield fence.

The Phoenix challenged the Knights again in the fifth but were unable to cross the plate.

Shaughnessy pitched a complete game to earn the win and move to 3-1 on the year.  She allowed one run on seven hits with one strikeout and two walks.

Led by three hits from Slye, the Knights produced seven hits in the game.

The first three innings of the bout with Utah Valley saw just one hit from each team.  In the top of the fourth, Cindy Zamudio (Wilmington, Calif./Redondo Union) led off with a walk and advanced to second and then third on two consecutive ground outs.  An infield error by the Wolverines allowed Angelique Nieves (Union City, N.J./High Tech High School) to reach first and scored Zamudio from third to give FDU a 1-0 lead.

The Knights maintained a 1-0 lead through the fifth inning.

Megan Reiner (Los Angeles, Calif./John Marshall) took the mound in the sixth inning, while FDU had a 1-0 lead.

Utah Valley produced a triple to start the sixth.  The next batter reached first on an error by Reiner and allowed the Wolverines to tie the game.

After a scoreless seventh inning the game entered extra innings.

With a runner on second due to the international tiebreaker rule, Madelaine Wilen (Bakerfield, Calif./Ridgeview High School) singled to third base to put two runners on.  A double steal put runners in scoring position but the Knights were unable to score.

In the bottom of the eighth, with a runner on second, the Wolverines laid down a bunt to reach first base.  FDU intentionally walked the batter with runners on first and third to load the bases and set up a force at each base.  With a full count, a fourth ball was called to walk in the winning run and give Utah Valley the 2-1 win.

Reiner earned the loss with two walks, two hits and one earned run in two innings of play.  Freshman Loren Stavrou (Long Beach, Calif./Wilson Classical High School) pitched five innings and allowed just two hits with no runs and no walks.  Stavrou struck out four batters.

Offensively, the Knights produced just two hits.  They walked once and struck out six times.

FDU is scheduled to face Army and in-state opponent, Rider University on Saturday, March 16 to conclude the 2013 Rebel Spring Games.