Box Score

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- The third-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson softball team ran into a dominating pitching performance by Northeast Conference Pitcher of the Year Laura Messina, as the Knights fell to second-seeded Central Connecticut, 3-0, in opening-round play of the double-elimination NEC Tournament at Conaty Park. With the victory, the Blue Devils advance to Friday's winner' bracket contest against host and top-seed Bryant and improve to 29-14 on the season, while the Knights move to the loser's bracket to face fourth-seeded LIU Brooklyn and fall to 21-20 overall.
 
Messina struck out 10, did not issue a walk and allowed just one hit – a two-out double off the left-center field fence to junior Cindy Zamudio (Wilmington, Calif./Redondo Union) in the top of the first – in the complete-game shutout.
 
Junior Megan Reiner (Los Angeles, Calif./John Marshall) (15-8) was charged with the tough-luck loss after going the distance for the 18th time this season. She scattered six hits,yielded three earned runs, walked one and struck out four.
 
Reiner was dominant through the first two innings, but an infield single by Arielle Bruno and walk to Tess Brown set up first and second for CCSU in the bottom of the third. With two down in the inning, Alexis DeBrosse singled through the left side to score Bruno, which proved to be the winning run and all Messina needed to earn the win.
 
Three innings later in the bottom of the sixth, the Blue Devils' Kat Malcolm put the game away with a two-run homer over the center field fence to clinch the victory.
 
FDU and LIU Brooklyn, who lost to the Bulldogs, 7-4, will meet in an elimination game on Friday at 1 p.m. The winner will then square off against the loser of the Bryant-CCSU game in another elimination contest at 3:30 p.m. The Knights and the Blackbirds split their doubleheader nearly two weeks ago in Brooklyn, N.Y.