Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team split its Northeast Conference doubleheader on Sunday at the FDU softball field. The Knights dropped the opener, 1-0, in another tough-luck loss, before hanging on for the 2-1 victory in the nightcap. With the split, FDU goes to 11-16 (2-4 NEC) on the season, while the Mount is 16-16-1 (4-2 NEC) overall.
 
For the second day in a row in the opener, a highly-contested pitchers' duel occurred with junior Megan Reiner (Los Angeles, Calif./John Marshall), but this time with the Mount's Nicole Pagano.
 
Also for the second day in a row, Reiner allowed just one big mistake with a home run, this time off the bat of Tori Belloc in the top of the third, which was a line shot over the center field fence. In the loss, Reiner (7-6) went the distance for the ninth time, allowed one earned run on five hits, walked two and fanned 10. In 12 starts, she has recorded at least seven strikeouts.
 
Pagano was on the winning end of the duel, throwing a complete-game shutout, as she allowed only five hits while striking out seven and walking just one.
 
In the bottom of the third, FDU attempted a rally to tie the game at one, but the Knights could not capitalize with runners in scoring position. With two outs and runners at second and third, junior Angelique Nieves (Union City, N.J./High Tech High School), who on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, grounded out back to Pagano to end the threat.
 
FDU would make things interesting in the bottom of the seventh when junior Cindy Zamudio (Wilmington, Calif./Redondo Union) reached on an error to lead off the inning before advancing to second on freshman Madison Lerma (Escondido, Calif./Escondido)'s sacrifice bunt, and taking third base on a pass ball with one out. Redshirt senior Liz Woidt (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) then reached on an infield single back to the pitcher and stole second to become the winning run at second base. However, Pagano would buckle down with back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat and the game.
 
Freshman Alex Portesi (Chino, Calif./Don Antonio Lugo) went 2-for-3 to lead the Knights' offense, while Jessica Greenewald collected two hits for the Mount.
 
In game two, FDU starter Samantha Lemm (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional High School) escaped a one-out bases-loaded jam in the top of the first with a pair of force outs at home. And neither side would never really threaten until the Knights ended a 25.2 innings scoring drought in the bottom of the fourth when Nieves delivered a two-out-two-run triple down the left-field line, as Portesi and Zamudio came around to give FDU a 2-0 lead.
 
Reiner entered the game in the circle in the top of the fifth to relieve Lemm, who worked herself into a trouble with the bases loaded and one out. Reiner was able to induce a pair of popups to end the threat.
 
The Mount scored their only run, which was unearned, in the top of the sixth on Alyssa Silipino's RBI single. From there, Reiner did not allow another base runner to reach, shutting down the Mountaineers for the final five outs to earn her first save of the season.
 
Lemm (1-3) turned in one of her best performances of the year, scattering six hits while not allowing a run in 4.1 innings. She walked three and struck out one to pick up her first victory of the season. Reiner allowed one earned run on two hits and recorded another strikeout over the final 2.2 innings.
 
Pagano, who shut down the Knights in game one, was charged with the loss after twirling another complete game. She yielded two earned runs on five hits, walked none and struck out 10.
 
Zamudio paced the FDU offense with two hits and a run, while Nieves collected the two big RBI on the triple. Greenewald and Holly Buckel both had two safeties for the Mount.
 
The Knights will host Army in a nonconference doubleheader at the FDU Softball Field on Tuesday, April 15, with game one slated to begin at 3 p.m.