Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NEW YORK – The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team dropped both nonconference contests at Columbia on Wednesday, falling to the Lions by scores of 8-1 and 2-1, and moving to 6-14 (3-3 NEC) in the process. Columbia improves to 10-16 on the season.
 
"We simply played sloppy and Columbia capitalized on our miscues." Head Coach Candi Letts said.
 
Alex Portesi (Chino, Calif./Don Antonio Lugo) and Angelique Nieves (Union City, N.J./High Tech High School) each singled in the first inning and sophomore Madison Lerma (Escondido, Calif./Escondido) knocked Portesi in with a single of her own to left field.
 
Loren Stavrou (Long Beach, Calif./Wilson Classical High School) allowed the tying run to cross the plate moments later when Madison Gott doubled home Alix Cook.
 
Columbia's go-ahead run came on a solo home run by Gott in the third and the Lions added four more in the fifth on a RBI single and a three-run home run by Tonia Wu.
 
Megan Reiner (Los Angeles, Calif./John Marshall) relieved Stavrou to start the sixth frame but after striking out her first batter, the senior allowed three hits and two runs on a Kerry Cook double.
 
Reiner started game two and let in just one unearned run over her three innings. Stephanie Collins (Washington, N.J./Warren Hills Regional) made a pair of errors in the first frame that allowed one run to score.
 
The Knights threatened in the second when Bryana Dorado (Oxnard, Calif./Oxnard), starting both contests at shortstop for the first time in her career, doubled to lead off the inning and Courtney Slye (Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley High School), starting at first, singled, but Cheryl Lopez (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) grounded into a fielder's choice where Dorado was gunned down at home and on a double steal attempt, Slye was thrown out at home.
 
Reiner pitched into and out of a jam in the third, allowing two straight singles but striking out the final two hitters to finish her stint in the game.
 
Lerma smacked a two-out double and Slye brought her home with her first career triple, 1-1.
 
Lopez replaced Reiner in the fourth and threw two scoreless innings before giving up the go-ahead unearned run when Portesi's error with two outs allowed Taylor Troutt, who had tripled with one out, to score.
 
Stavrou dropped to 0-5 with the game one loss and Lopez, despite not allowing an earned run, fell to 0-3 on the season after game two.
 
Kayla Maloney earned her first win of the season with a complete game and no earned runs in game one, while Wu moved to 6-8 with 3.1 innings of relief and just two hits allowed in the second contest.
 
Dorado and Slye each went 3-for-6 on the day, while Lerma added a hit in each contest.
 
The Knights return to Northeast Conference action with a doubleheader at reigning league champion Bryant on Saturday, April 11, before hosting Saint Francis University at FDU Softball Field on Sunday. NEC Front Row will carry all four games.