Box Score

SAN DIEGO -- The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team concluded its California trip on Sunday after rallying for a 3-2 victory over San Diego in the USD Tournament I at the USD Softball Complex. With the victory, the Knights improve to 7-10 on the season, while the Toreros fall to 13-11 overall.

With the score tied at 2-2 in the top of the seventh and one out, sophomore Julia Northcutt (Irvine, Calif./Northwood High School) reached on an infield single and advanced to second base on fellow classmate Madeline Wilen's sacrifice bunt. On the play, San Diego pitcher Cassidy Coleman committed an error, which put runners on first and second.

FDU then loaded the bases after freshman Alex Portesi (Chino, Calif./Don Antonio Lugo) dropped down a bunt single, and junior Angelique Nieves (Union City, N.J./High Tech High School) delivered the game-winning hit with an RBI single to center field, scoring Northcutt.

In the bottom of the seventh, the first two Toreros reached base against junior starter Megan Reiner (Los Angeles, Calif./John Marshall). After the potential tying and winning runs advanced to second and third after a sacrifice bunt, the Knights' ace recorded her fifth strikeout and induced a foul out to third to clinch the victory.

Reiner (5-2) constructed her fourth complete game of the season, yielding only two runs, one earned, on eight hits while walking three and striking out five.

Coleman, who earned the win in San Diego's 2-1 victory over FDU on Friday, was charged with the loss after coming in relief in the seventh inning. Starter Jenny Lahitte tossed 6.0 innings and allowed only two earned runs on just three hits but walked five and struck out three.

The Toreros jumped on Reiner in the first inning, as an RBI single from Mary Grabowski gave the hosts a 1-0 lead. Before the Knights could do any damage, San Diego tacked on another run in the third on an FDU error on a fielder's choice from Danielle Mavridis to score Grabowski.

The Knights would then take over and score single runs in three of the last four innings. In the fourth junior Cindy Zamudio (Wilmington, Calif./Redondo Union) hit a home run over the left-field fence to make it a one run game. The round-tripper was her second of the season.

FDU played small ball in the top of the sixth to knot the game at 2-2. Junior Bryana Dorado (Oxnard, Calif./Oxnard) was hit by a pitch and moved to second on Zamudio's sacrifice bunt, which set up freshman Madison Lerma (Escondido, Calif./Escondido), who singled home Zamudio with the game-tying hit.

"This was a very productive trip, not about wins and losses, but getting better each day and each game," Head Coach Candi Letts said. "It was good to end on a win against a good and competitive San Diego team. We are looking forward to conference play."

The Knights will host former Northeast Conference foe Quinnipiac in their 2014 home opener on Thursday, March 20 with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. at the FDU Softball Field.