Live VideoHACKENSACK, N.J. --Â The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team (21-19, 11-5 NEC) will make program history on Thursday when it competes in its first-ever Northeast Conference Tournament, which will take place at top-seeded Bryant's campus in Smithfield, R.I. The Knights, who are the third seed in the four-team field, are slated to face second-seeded Central Connecticut in a 2 p.m. contest at the Softball Complex and Conaty Park. The host Bulldogs and the fourth seed, LIU Brooklyn, will square off on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. The two winners meet on Friday, May 9 at 10:30 a.m., while the losers square off at 1 p.m. in an elimination game.
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Last Time Out FDU enters the NEC Tournament on a season-high six-game winning streak that began April 27 against Wagner. The Knights swept the Seahawks, before doing the same on the road at Saint Francis University and Robert Morris. Overall, FDU has won seven of its last eight – all in conference play.
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The Knights clinched their first playoff berth in program history last Saturday against the Red Flash. In the doubleheader, junior
Megan Reiner (Los Angeles, Calif./John Marshall) threw a complete game in both contests, with game two going into the 10th inning. Reiner pitched 17 innings, allowing only two earned runs and walking three to go along with 18 strikeouts. Reiner (15-7) finished the season with a jaw-dropping 1.66 ERA and 17 complete games in 21 chances while logging 143 innings in the circle. She has also fanned 160 on the year and is 10 off from the program record she set in 2012 (170 SO). Reiner was the recipient of the 2013-2014 Harriet McCormick Female Athlete of the Year at the Annual Athletics Awards Banquet on Monday night..
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Redshirt senior
Liz Woidt (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) hit the game-winning home run in game one before hitting the go-ahead round-tripper in the top of the 10th in game two to propel FDU to the sweep. Woidt finished the weekend 8-for-15 (.533 BA, .933 Slugging Percentage) at the plate and was named NEC Player of the Week. Freshman
Cheryl Lopez (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) was also named NEC Rookie of the Week after tossing the first complete-game shutout of her collegiate career against Robert Morris on Sunday. She scattered six hits, walked four and struck out one while yielding one unearned run in the 4-1 victory over the Colonials in the opener.
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Other notes worth pointing out:
Madelaine Wilen (Bakerfield, Calif./Ridgeview High School) was named NEC Player of the Week for the week March 20-March 26, and the Knights' catcher paces the team with team highs of six home runs and 24 RBI. Third baseman
Angelique Nieves (Union City, N.J./High Tech High School) leads the team in hits with 37 and 10 doubles, while classmate
Cindy Zamudio (Wilmington, Calif./Redondo Union) leads in batting average (.343), runs (21) and slugging percentage (.556).
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#1 Bryant2014 Season: 29-20 (13-3 NEC; 1st in NEC)
When: Friday, May 9, 2014 - 10:30 am/1 p.m.
Where: Smithfield, R.I. (Softball Complex at Conaty Park)
Series History: Bryant leads 8-4
2014 Match-up: April 2, 2014 - FDU 7 Bryant 2; Bryant 12 FDU 1 (DH)
Elle Madsen (3-7, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI)
                   (LP Game 1 - 6 IP, 13 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K)
                   (WP Game 2 - 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K)
Lauren Guy (3-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI)
Kendal Corder (2-7, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI)
Aubrey Mable (2-7, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI)
Madeline Velasquez (3-6, 3 RBI)
What You Need To Know: The Bulldogs' offense hit .294 as a team in 2014 and was led by Elle Madsen in both the batter's box and the circle. Madsen led the team in average (.347), home runs (12), and runs (21), and in the circle, the she compiled a 22-10 record, 2.68 ERA and struck out 137 batters in 203.2 innings pitched. Madeline Velasquez led the team in hits with 54 and doubles with 13 and is tied with Madsen for the team lead in RBI (36).Â
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#2 CCSU2014 Season: 28-14 (11-5 NEC; T-2nd in NEC)
When: Thursday, May 8, 2014 - 2 p.m.
Where: Smithfield, R.I. (Softball Complex at Conaty Park)
Series History: CCSU leads 11-5 (since 2006)
2014 Match-up: April 12, 2014 - CCSU 1 FDU 0; CCSU 5 FDU 0 (DH)
Laura Messina (WP Game 1 - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K)
                       (WP Game 2 - 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K)
Arielle Bruno (5-7, 2B, HR, 3 R, RBI)
Tessa Brown (3-6, 2 RBI)
What You Need To Know: The Blue Devils also enter the NEC Tournament on a six-game winning streak and are carried by junior Laura Messina, who earned her sixth NEC Pitcher of the Week honor this week. She is currently in a three-way tie for first in the nation with 13 shutouts on the season. Messina (23-11), who is the best pitcher in the league, has logged 216.1 innings with 240 strikeouts and a 1.42 ERA. Arielle Bruno leads the offense with a .355 batting average and 49 hits. Freshman Alexis Debrosse enjoyed her first collegiate campaign by leading CCSU in home runs with five while recording 21 RBI and scoring 21 runs.
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#4 LIU Brooklyn2014 Season: 20-32 (9-7 NEC; 4th in NEC)
When: Friday, May 9, 2014 - 10:30 am/1 p.m.
Where: Smithfield, R.I. (Softball Complex at Conaty Park)
Series History: LIU leads 27-3
2014 Match-up: April 26, 2014 - FDU 7 LIU 2; LIU 6 FDU 4 (DH)
Whitney West (4-7, 2B, 3B, 2 R, RBI)
Ariana Lopez (3-5 2B, 2 RBI)
Cassie Vondrak (LP Game 1 - 6.1 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 4 K)
Shelley Procter (WP Game 2 - 7 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 5 K)
What You Need To Know: Lauren Morizi leads the Blackbirds attack with a team-best .331 batting average, 15 doubles, and 17 RBI. Whitney West is hitting .318 and paces the team in hits with 55, including six doubles and four triples, while scoring 26 runs. Shelley Procter and Cassie Vondrak split the duties in the circle for LIU, with Procter having tossed 180 innings on the season, while Vondrak has pitched 132.2 innings. Procter leads the team with a 3.58 ERA, nine complete games, 107 strikeouts and 12 wins. Vondrak has pitched to a 3.64 ERA and has collected five saves out of the bullpen. She has registered seven wins and 81 strikeouts this season.
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