HACKENSACK, N.J. – After dropping game one, 1-0, the Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team responded with a walk-off 3-2 victory over Robert Morris in game two on Sunday, April 7 at the FDU Softball Field. The Knights move to 13-13 on the season, with a 4-4 Northeast Conference mark, while the Colonials fall to 19-10, with a 5-1 conference record. The 3-2 loss was RMU's first conference defeat of the year.

Freshman Loren Stavrou (Long Beach, Calif./Wilson Classical High School) was charged with the loss in the circle for the Knights in the opener despite recording six strikeouts and allowing just one run.

After taking a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning of game two, the Knights found themselves tied at two entering the seventh inning. Freshman Madalaine Wilen knocked in the winning run on an RBI single up the middle for the victory.

Stavrou began game one with four-consecutive strikeouts and allowed just one hit through the first four innings. 

The Colonials threatened in the top of the fifth when a walk and a single put two runners on base. The Knights stifled the pressure by forcing a lineout to first base and tagging the runner out on the play to end the inning.

With one out in the top of the sixth, Ashley Gehart singled through the left side, advanced to second on a sacrifice and scored on an RBI single by Tess Apke to give the Colonials a 1-0 lead. Haileigh Stocks then singled to center field on the next play, giving way for Apke to head toward the plate. A tremendous throw home by Julia Northcutt (Irvine, Calif./Northwood High School) in center field enabled Wilen to tag Apke at the plate and prevent the Colonials from taking a 2-0 lead.

Robert Morris maintained the 1-0 lead and earned its fifth-straight conference win.

Senior Mikayla Fernandez (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) recorded the Knights only hit of the day, a single through the left side in the second inning.

The Colonials recorded six hits on the day with just one earned run. Stavrou dropped to 4-2 on the year with the loss but maintains a team-leading ERA of 1.64.

Robert Morris threatened early in game two with two runners in scoring position in the top of the first. Pitcher Megan Reiner (Los Angeles, Calif./John Marshall) struck out the batter to end the inning and eliminate the Colonials' opportunity.

In the top of the third, RMU put a runner on second after a walk and a sacrifice bunt. The runner scored to give Robert Morris a 1-0 lead on a double to center field by Apke.

The Knights responded in the bottom of the fifth, sparked by a single by Emma Deluca (Vernon, N.J./Vernon Township High School)-Knighton. Senior Maire Shaughnessy (Culpeper, Va./Highland) entered as a pinch runner for Deluca-Knighton and quickly stole second. After Wilen was hit by a pitch, Cindy Zamudio (Wilmington, Calif./Redondo Union) singled through the left side, and Shaughnessy scored from second on the hit to tie the game at one, while the throw from left field was miscalculated and gave way to Wilen to cross on the plate on the error. After six innings, the Knights led, 2-1.

In the top of the seventh, two RMU doubles tied the game at two.

Shaughnessy led off the bottom of the seventh by reaching on an infield error and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Northcutt. With one out and a runner on second, Wilen singled up the middle to drive in Shaughnessy and give the Knights the victory.

Reiner earned the win in game two to move to 2-7 on the year. She allowed just two earned runs on two hits, while striking out 10 and walking only one batter.

The Knights are back in action on Wednesday, April 10 as they travel to Jersey City, N.J. to take on Saint Peter's University in an afternoon doubleheader.at 3 p.m.