HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team returns to the diamond for a pair of doubleheaders when they host Stony Brook on Friday at FDU Softball Field and travel to Central Connecticut on Sunday afternoon.
The doubleheader versus Stony Brook on Friday will start at 2 p.m. Game time in New Britain on Sunday is 1 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
The Knights split Sunday's doubleheader against LIU Brooklyn. Fairleigh Dickinson won game one 4-3 and picked up its first Northeast Conference win of the season. LIU Brooklyn won game two 19-3 in five innings. In game one versus the Blackbirds, the Knights got RBI from four different players;
Summer Mendoza,
Serena Meehan,
Cheryl Lopez and
Stephanie Collins. In game two, LIU Brooklyn scored in every innings; including eight in the second.
SERIES SCORE(S)
Fairleigh Dickinson is 1-9 all-time against Stony Brook. The win came at home back in 2005, 3-2. The Seawolves have won the last six in the series and the last two by identical 11-3 scores in 2014, 2016. Central Connecticut and Fairleigh Dickinson will meet for the 31st and 32nd times on Sunday afternoon. Central Connecticut is 19-11 in the prior 30 meetings. The teams split the doubleheader last season in Hackensack. The win in game one by the Knights snapped an eight-game skid in the series.
SCOUTING THE SEAWOLVES
Stony Brook sits at 12-25 overall on the year and is coming off an 8-0 win over Hartford on Wednesday. The win against Hartford snapped a three-game skid for the Seawolves. Melissa Rahirch paces the lineup in hitting at .346, .400 on-base and a .635 slugging percentage. Rahirch has also logged the most innings for Stony Brook (117 2/3) and has a 3.63 ERA over those innings. Jordin Hering has scored the most (22), and Irene Rivera has knocked in the most (29).
SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS
Central Connecticut sits at 10-23 overall and 4-8 NEC play. The Blue Devils will play Boston University on Thursday and LIU Brooklyn on Saturday before hosting the Knights. Brittany McNulla leads the team with a .308 average, .342 on-base, and 23 RBI. Alexis Debrosse leads the team in runs scored (22). Emily Sargent has pitched nearly 60-percent of the innings for Central (142 2/3 of 215) has a 3.93 ERA. Sargent is 5-17 over 18 starts on the season.
KNIGHTS KNOTES
Kellie Natham leads the team with a .344 average overall, and a .361 clip in Northeast Conference play. The sophomore also leads the Knights in extra-base hits with 11 – 10 doubles, one homer.
Summer Mendoza (.306 overall, .333 in NEC play) and
Reanna Cervantes (.336 overall, .324 in NEC play) are also over .300 for the Knights this season.
Erica Johnson picked up the win versus LIU in relief. The freshman has all four wins for the Knights this season.
