HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson got its three graduating seniors a doubleheader split on Sunday afternoon against LIU Brooklyn.
Before game one, the softball program honored a trio of seniors;
Stephanie Collins,
Cheryl Lopez, and
Francine Villalobos. The trio played a large part in the win in game one for Fairleigh Dickinson.
Game 1: Fairleigh Dickinson 4, LIU Brooklyn 3
Fairleigh Dickinson (4-29, 1-10 NEC) its first Northeast Conference win with a win in game one as
Serena Meehan delivered and RBI on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Meehan came up in the sixth with the bases loaded and one away and hit a grounder on the infield that the Blackbirds tried to get the lead runner at home on, but Villalobos slid around the tag to put the Knights in the lead.
Fairleigh Dickinson got on the board first with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. After the first two hitters had been retired, Villalobos and
Jaymee Jackson reached and stood at first and second when Collins singled on a chopper through the right side to score Villalobos.
Collins finished the day 2-for-2 with a walk and the RBI. Villalobos finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Summer Mendoza drove in the second run – Jackson – on an infield single to the pitcher to make it 2-0.
A solo homer from Kayla Groady to lead off the second cut the Knights advantage in half.
The Knights restored the two-run lead on a Lopez sacrifice fly to right field that brought in
Reanna Cervantes, who started the inning with a single.
LIU Brooklyn (17-30, 3-8 NEC) would score a run in the fourth and fifth innings before Fairleigh Dickinson taking the lead late on Villalobos' second run scored in the game.
The Knights used three pitchers in game one;
Madison Emerson,
Baylee Ports and
Erica Johnson. It was Johnson, who pitched the last two in relief of Ports, that earned the win. The freshman has all four of the Knights wins this season.
Tallie Woodson (6-15) pitched five innings and allowed all four runs and saddled with the loss for LIU Brooklyn.
Game 2: LIU Brooklyn 19, Fairleigh Dickinson 3 – 5 innings
LIU Brooklyn (18-30, 4-8 NEC) scored in all five innings; including eight in the second and five more in the fourth to break a 3-3 tie after the first inning.
Fairleigh Dickinson (4-30, 1-11 NEC) answered LIU's three-run top half with three of their own.
Reanna Cervantes hit a two-run home run to center field, and Emerson scored on a wild pitch to tie it at three.
The home run for Cervantes was her fourth of the season and scored
Summer Mendoza as well.
After the first inning, the Knights would only have one more hit over the final four innings – a Cervantes single in the second inning.
In the Blackbirds' eight-run second, they sent 12 batters to the plate. Gina Bond hit a two-run homer to start things. A RBI single, two-RBI double, two-RBI single and a wild pitch led to the eight spot. Eight different players scored the eight runs.
The third inning saw the Blackbirds two more markers; one coming on a single from Schae Dickson and one scored on an error.
The first five Blackbirds reached and scored in the fourth inning. Three of the runs came on a three-run homer from Dickson. A RBI double in the fifth capped the scoring for the Blackbirds.
The 19 runs are the most Fairleigh Dickinson has allowed to LIU Brooklyn and the most since allowing 18 to Fordham back in 2011.
Fairleigh Dickinson returns to action on Wednesday, April 26 for a single game against St. John's at the FDU Softball Field at 3 p.m. The next home doubleheader for the Knights is on Friday, April 28 against Stony Brook.
