HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team was close to earning a split against Villanova on Thursday, but the Wildcats prevailed in nine innings in game two after run-ruling the Knights in game one of the afternoon.
The two losses move the Knights to 3-27 overall. Villanova is now 27-14 with the two wins at the FDU Softball Field.
Game 1: Villanova 10, Fairleigh Dickinson 0 – Final 6 Innings
Villanova scored five runs in the first inning against
Cheryl Lopez – the Knights starter – but none of the runs were earned.
A pair of errors in the inning allowed Villanova to send 11 batters to the plate. Lopez did issue three straight walks to bring in the second run of the inning. A single from Kendall Ohman made it 3-0. The second of the errors made it a 4-0 ballgame, and the inning was capped a bases-loaded walk by Lauren Hershberg.
Nicole Alden homered in the second to make it 6-0 for the visitors.
Offensively, the Knights were limited to four hits by starter Brette Lawrence of Villanova and reliever Kalee Smith.
The Knights did get runners at the corners in the bottom of the second when
Holly Mercier singled and moved
Serena Meehan over, but both runners were stranded there.
In the Villanova half of the sixth, the Wildcats loaded the bases with a walk and two singles. The next three runs would be scored via the free pass – two from
Irene Herrera and one from
Erica Johnson.
The Knight went down one-two-three in the bottom of the sixth.
Lopez (0-5) was charged with the loss after going two and a third while allowing six runs – one earned – and five walks.
Game 2: Villanova 5, Fairleigh Dickinson 2 – Final 9 Innings
For the second time this season the Knights played past the regulation seven innings, but unlike the first time against UT Chattanooga back in February, Fairleigh Dickinson did not come out on top.
Both teams scored in their halves of the first inning. Villanova got on the board when Brittany Husk scored on a double steal. Fairleigh Dickinson tied the game when
Kellie Natham drove in Renna Cervantes with a single to right center. It was Natham's 17th RBI of the season and Cervantes' 13th run scored.
Starters
Erica Johnson and Jordan Prutzer got into a rhythm, and neither side would score until the sixth.
In the sixth, Fairleigh Dickinson would take a 2-1 lead on a
Serena Meehan RBI – fifth – single that went through the left side.
Baylee Ports, who pinch ran for
Madison Emerson, scored. Meehan finished game two 3-for-3.
Johnson, who had worked around leadoff hits in the fifth and sixth innings, was unable to work around a leadoff double from Lauren Herschberg. Herschberg scored the tying run on a double from Dan Morris with one out.
Fairleigh Dickinson had chances to win the game in both the bottom of seventh and eighth innings.
In the seventh, the Knights had runners on first and second with two outs before Natham fouled out to short. In the eighth,
Cheryl Lopez doubled to start the frame and was sacrificed over to third with one out.
Stephanie Collins then hit a fly ball to center, and Megan Ruiz threw out Lopez, who tried to tag up on the play, at home to end the frame.
Villanova then scored three in the top of the ninth. The first coming on a fielder's choice as the throw came late to home to try and get Brittany Husk. The fourth and fifth runs would score on a pair of errors on the same play by the Knights.
In the bottom half, the Knights were unable to mount a comeback and were retired in order.
Johnson (3-8) pitched the eight and one-third while striking out six and working around nine hits.
Madison Emerson recorded the final two outs.
Fairleigh Dickinson returns to action on Saturday for a Northeast Conference doubleheader against Robert Morris at the FDU Softball Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
