CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- In the final game of the Chattanooga Frost Classic on Sunday morning, the Fairleigh Dickinson softball team lost 13-3 to Western Michigan.
Both Western Michigan (6-5) and Fairleigh Dickinson (1-9) scored in the first inning. The Broncos then scored in the second and third innings to open up an 8-1 lead after three full.
The Knights made it an 8-3 game in the fifth before the Broncos scored five in the top of the sixth to make it 13-3.
Western Michigan hit the first of its four home runs in the first inning when Kelsea Cichocki hit a two-run shot to center field with one away.
In the bottom of the first, the Knights did get one back.
Reanna Cervantes led off with a single.
Summer Mendoza followed and got on via an error. After a fielder's choice,
Kellie Natham brought in Cervantes from third on a groundout. It was Natham's team-leading eighth RBI.
Cervantes extended her hit streak to four games with her two on the day.
The top of the second saw Western Michigan score four more times. Abby Stoner led off with a solo shot to centerfield. Three more runs would come across on four hits and one error for the Broncos.
Both Bronco runs in the third innings came via the home run. Aspen Williams hit one over the fence. Williams finished the day 4-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored.
In the Knights' half of the fifth inning,
Holly Mercier and singled to lead off. A groundout moved both over to second and third for
Summer Mendoza. Mendoza singled to bring in Mercier and make it 8-2. Villalobos came home to score on an Emerson pop out to short.
The Broncos answered with five runs in the top of the sixth inning on five hits. The final two runs scored on a two-run home run by Ivy Schaaf.
Anissa Sanchez started for the Broncos and went five innings to pick up the win while allowing three runs -- two earned.
Erica Johnson started for the Knights and suffered her first loss of the season after pitching one-plus innings and allowing three runs.
Fairleigh Dickinson returns to action on March 10 for a doubleheader at Elon as part of a weekend tournament where the Knights will also face Norfolk State and Presbyterian.
