Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

HACKENSACK, N.J. – It was a tale of two games for the Fairleigh Dickinson softball team in its Northeast Conference doubleheader against LIU Brooklyn on a rainy and overcast Friday afternoon. Knights senior pitcher Megan Reiner twirled a two-hit complete game shutout in game one, 7-0, but the Blackbirds exploded in game two, 13-2, to split the day. FDU moves to 6-12 (3-3 NEC) on the season, while the Blackbirds' record sits at 13-21 (3-1 NEC) overall.
 
Game one had all the makings of a pitchers duel with both Reiner and LIU Brooklyn sophomore Shelley Proctor firing three shutout innings before the Knights plated runs over the final three frames.
 
Madison Lerma (Escondido, Calif./Escondido)'s solo effort proved to be the difference in the fourth inning, a no-doubter over the left field fence.
 
The following inning, Madelaine Wilen (Bakerfield, Calif./Ridgeview High School), drove one to dead center to make it 2-0 and Bryana Dorado (Oxnard, Calif./Oxnard) drove herself and Alex Portesi (Chino, Calif./Don Antonio Lugo) home with a two-run shot in the same location.
 
In the sixth, redshirt sophomore Courtney Slye (Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley High School) led off with a walk, Cheryl Lopez (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) singled up the middle, and after the two were pushed over, Wilen was intentionally walked to bring Portesi back up. With two outs and a full count, Portesi ripped a double into the left-centerfield gap, scoring all three teammates to make it 7-0.
 
Reiner, who allowed singles in the third and seventh, struck out five while walking none.
 
Wilen's home run was the 13th of her career and moved her into a tie for fourth-most in program history.
 
Reiner started game two but lasted just one complete inning. In the first, the senior allowed a two-out two-run home run to LIU designated player Nicole Archer and was chased from the game the following inning after a leadoff double and subsequent round-tripper to Ariana Lopez.
 
Leading off the second, Dorado smacked her second home run of the day and 11th of her career to cut the lead to three, 4-1, but Alyssa Lanktree-Dotson finished the frame with three strikeouts.
 
The Blackbirds added three in the third on three hits and five in the fourth, including a grand slam by Celinna Cosio, to lead 12-1. The Blackbirds and Knights each added a run in the fifth before the game finished, 13-2. Portesi knocked in Stephanie Collins (Washington, N.J./Warren Hills Regional) for her fourth RBI of the day.
 
With a win and a loss, Reiner remains at .500 with a 6-6 record on the season.
 
"It was a great first game and Megan had everything working on the mound," Head Coach Candi Letts said, "Our hitters supplied great offense for her. LIU made adjustments between games and we didn't, but we learned some things from that game that we can keep improving throughout the conference season."
 
The Knights are at Columbia for a nonconference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.