Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

LORETTO, Pa. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team will be competing in the program's first-ever Northeast Conference Tournament next weekend after sweeping Saint Francis University on Saturday in NEC action at Red Flash Field. The Knights won the opener, 1-0, before taking the nightcap, 9-4, in 10 innings. With the victory, FDU improves to 19-19 (9-5 NEC) on the season, while the Red Flash fall to 24-23 (6-8 NEC) overall.
 
The difference in game one came in the top of the fifth when redshirt senior Liz Woidt (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) homered over the left field fence to start the inning. The round-tripper was the first of season for Woidt, who would go 2-for-3 in the contest.
 
The single run was more than enough for junior Megan Reiner (Los Angeles, Calif./John Marshall) (14-7), who went the distance for the 16th time this season en route to recording her third shutout. The Knights' ace yielded just four hits, walked two and struck out eight.
 
Saint Francis' Alexis Bowers was charged with the tough-luck loss, as she also went the distance and allowed just four hits and one earned run while walking one and striking out six.
 
Samantha Reid and Lindsey Thomas both had two hits to pace the Red Flash offense.
 
Woidt would be the hero once again for FDU in game two after hitting a two-out, two-run bomb over the center field fence to break a 4-4 tie in the 10th inning of game two, as freshman Madison Lerma (Escondido, Calif./Escondido) came around to score to make it 6-4. After freshman Cheryl Lopez (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) and sophomore Julia Northcutt (Irvine, Calif./Northwood High School) singled, sophomore Madelaine Wilen (Bakerfield, Calif./Ridgeview High School) put the game away with a three-run homer for her team-leading sixth of the season and a 9-4 advantage.
 
Extra innings was the last thing on the Knights' mind after they jumped out to a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. Wilen singled home Woidt with two outs in the third to give FDU a 1-0 lead. In the top of the fourth, junior Bryana Dorado (Oxnard, Calif./Oxnard) scored on a wild pitch, and Woidt singled home junior Angelique Nieves (Union City, N.J./High Tech High School) to extend the lead to 3-0. Two innings later in the sixth, Dorado scored on an error by the second baseman with two outs.
 
But the Red Flash would score three times in the bottom of the sixth to slice the deficit to 4-3. Taylor Parsons led off the frame with a home run off Reiner, before Saint Francis cashed in on two unearned runs after freshman Alex Portesi (Chino, Calif./Don Antonio Lugo)'s throwing error at shortstop with two outs.
 
After the Knights left two runners on in the top of the seventh, Reiner recorded a foul out and a pop out for the first two outs in the bottom half. Parsons then doubled and scored on Sabrie Neeb's RBI single to knot the game at 4-4.
 
Reiner (15-7) tossed all 10 innings for her second complete game of the day and 17th of the season. She scattered 11 hits, walked one and struck out 10 while allowing two earned runs in the victory.
 
Blaire Lauthers took the loss in the circle after allowing nine runs, eight earned, on 14 hits while walking two and fanning just one.
 
Wilen and Woidt each had three hits to lead the FDU offense. Wilen collected four RBI and Woidt added two runs and three RBI. Dorado and Lopez both added two safeties, with Dorado also scoring twice.
 
Thomas led Saint Francis with three hits, and Parsons, Neeb and Maggie Creciun each had two, with Parsons collecting two runs.
 
The Knights will conclude the regular season on Sunday when they travel to Moon Township, Pa. to take on Robert Morris in a conference doubleheader. First pitch for game on is slated for 12 p.m.