HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team returned to the field after 22 days off to open Northeast Conference play against Saint Francis U on Monday at the FDU Softball Field.

Game 1 – Saint Francis U 15, Fairleigh Dickinson 0
 
Saint Francis U scored four times in the first inning of game one and did not let Fairleigh Dickinson get comfortable. The Red Flash also scored in the second, third and fourth innings to earn the run-rule win, 15-0, after five innings.

The Knights' starter, Irene Herrera, got the first batter of the game to strike out, but next seven Red Flash hitters would all reach base. Sierra McKee brought in the first two runs with a double to right-centerfield. McKee would come around to score on a Madison Cabell triple. The final run of the inning came on a RBI groundout by Kassidy Troxell.
 
The Red Flash made it 7-0 with three runs in the second, Saint Francis U (26-8, 1-0 NEC) pushed six across the plate in the top half of the fourth. Kindra Witthus plated three runs with a three-run homer to left field. That a one-out single from McKee made it 11-0 and Cabell tacked on two more runs with a single to center in the next at-bat.

Cheyenne McKee finished the scoring for the Red Flash with a two-run home run to left field in the top of the fourth.

Kellie Natham in the fourth and Serena Meehan in the fifth were the two hits for Fairleigh Dickinson (1-15, 0-1 NEC). Francine Villalobos worked a walk in the first to be the third Knight to reach base.

Ketarah DeVris (7-4) got the win after pitching three scoreless innings to start for the Red Flash. Mikayla Bower finished the last two to combine for the two-hit shutout.

Herrera (0-4) allowed 10 runs – seven earned – over two innings while striking out three for the Knights. Madison Emerson worked through the final three and allowed five runs – four earned – and struck out a pair.
 
Game 2 – Saint Francis U 10, Fairleigh Dickinson 1
 
Reanna Cervantes gave Fairleigh Dickinson an early 1-0 lead in the second half of the doubleheader. The sophomore connected on her first home run of the season with a blast to center field. Unfortunately, the Knights would not get another hit until Cervantes hit a one-out double in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Saint Francis U would immediately take the lead in the top of the second inning with a bases-loaded walk to Kindra Witthus and a two-run single from Cheyenne McKee.
 
A single scored the Red Flash's third run. Then back-to-back home runs from Taylor Hoover and Kassidy Troxell made it a 7-1 ballgame in the third inning. Hoover's shot was a two-run round tripper left.
 
Saint Francis U (27-8, 2-0 NEC) tacked on a single run in the fourth and then two more in the top of the seventh to get the 10-1 win.
 
Fairleigh Dickinson's (1-16, 0-2 NEC) starter, Baylee Ports (0-3) pitched two and two-thirds and allowed seven earned runs on six hits. Madison Emerson and Irene Herrera pitched the remaining four and a third three runs on only five hits.

Abby Trahan (11-3) limited the Knights to the lone run on Cervantes' homer over five innings and struck out six. 
 
Kassidy Neptune and Serena Meehan both got hits in the seventh to try and spark a late rally, but Ana Hayes was called out on a close play at first to end the game.
 
The Knights return to action on Wednesday at UMass for a doubleheader starting at 2:30 p.m. The doubleheader against Siena that was scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled and will be made up at a later date.