HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team will conclude the Northeast Conference season this weekend with two double headers on tap. The Knights will host the Red Flash of Saint Francis University on Saturday, April 27 at 1 p.m. before traveling to Staten Island to take on the Seahawks of Wagner on Sunday, April 28.
Graduating seniors Mikayla Fernandez (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo), Maire Shaughnessy (Culpeper, Va./Highland) and Liz Woidt (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) will be honored prior to the Knights' matchup with Saint Francis.
The Knights moved back to .500 on the season with a 9-1 win over Iona on Wednesday. The Knights are now 19-19 on the year with a 7-9 Northeast Conference record.
Senior Mikayla Fernandez (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) currently leads the team with a .324 batting average and six home runs on the season. Fernandez has 17 RBI on the year and has crossed the plate a team-leading 36 times in 38 games. Freshman Courtney Slye (Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley High School) has also knocked six home runs out of the park this season and holds an average of .317. Slye paces the team with 18 RBI in 38 games.
As a unit, the Knights are hitting .257 on the year, while holding opponents to a .248 average and maintain a combined 2.57 earned run average.
Saint Francis University is 22-23 on the year with a 4-8 Northeast Conference record. The Red Flash defeated Wagner in a double header and split with Bryant and Mount St. Mary's this year. Like FDU, the team dropped two games to Central Connecticut but also lost two games against Robert Morris and LIU Brooklyn.
Chelsy Cosentino leads Saint Francis with a .377 batting average through 45 games. Cosentino leads the team with 25 RBI and has 57 hits, including 10 doubles, three triples and three home runs. Sabrie Need, Samantha Thomas and Brianna Garcia also hit above .300.
Ketarah DeVries holds a 15-13 record and an ERA of 3.43 to lead the Red Flash in the circle. She has struck out 118 batters in 177.2 innings of work.
Following Saturday's game, the Knights will face Wagner at noon on Sunday.
The Seahawks are 11-36 on the year with two games against FDU remaining. Wagner is 2-16 in Northeast Conference action with wins over Mount St. Mary's and is currently riding a six-game losing streak with losses to Robert Morris, Saint Francis and Manhattan.
Freshman Abigail Beasley paces the Seahawks with a .354 average in 45 games this season. Beasley has 22 RBI to lead the team and has hit three home runs this year.
Senior Judy Betz holds a win-loss record of 4-18 in 31 appearances. Betz holds an ERA of 4.25, while the team's collective ERA is 4.59.
The Knights will conclude the regular season with a double header at Army on Saturday, May 4. The match up was rescheduled from an original date in March.
