NEW ORLEANS – The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team finished up its nine-day journey through the state of Louisiana with a doubleheader sweep of Southern on Saturday afternoon, winning 5-2 and 4-2.
 
The Knights (4-7) took advantage of a four-run second inning to power their way to victory in the first game of the day, and they battled back from a 2-0 deficit to force extra innings in the second game before freshman Amarys Miller-Godsey drove in the winning runs in the top of the eighth on a two-RBI double.
 
FDU won four out of five games in its series with Southern to wrap up the 11-game Bayou State start to its 2019 season.
 
Senior Baylee Ports earned her second straight complete-game victory in the opener, allowing only two runs on four hits to go with one strikeout. Sophomore Abby England also earned her second victory of the series in the nightcap, pitching the final 3.2 innings and allowing only one hit while striking out three batters.
 
Sophomore Rylie Schmeh led the Knights' hitters with four hits and four RBI, including a 3-for-3 effort with two RBI and a run scored in the first game. Junior Madison Emerson tallied three hits in the two games to go with a RBI and a run scored, and freshman Courtney Mahoney recorded a hit in each game as well.
 
England started the Knights' rally in the second inning of the first game with a single, and Schmeh doubled England home to provide the Knights the lead. Sophomore Logan Kolehmainen then bunted for a single, and senior Serena Meehan singled home Schmeh for a RBI to make it 2-0. Kolehmainen later stole home and Emerson plated Meehan with a RBI single to extend the advantage to 4-0.
 
The Jaguars (2-11) got to Ports in the bottom half of the frame by stringing together three singles and two runs. With a runner on first, senior catcher Reanna Cervantes threw out a Jaguar runner trying to steal second, and Ports induced a groundout to end the inning.
 
The senior Knight pitcher settled into a groove from the third inning on, with a double in the fourth inning representing the only baserunner for Southern in the final five innings. Ports ended the game by retiring each of the last 11 batters she faced.
 
FDU added their fifth and final run in the fifth inning when Schmeh tripled home Mahoney with two outs.
 
Southern started the nightcap by scoring runs in the first and third innings in taking a 2-0 lead. The Knights, however, responded with a run in the top of the fourth on a Schmeh walk with the bases loaded to cut the deficit to one, and Schmeh later tied the game in the sixth with a single that plated senior Holly Mercier with two outs.
 
The game carried into extra innings, where the Knights did not waste time in taking the lead. With Meehan placed on second to start the inning, freshman Riley De Laval advanced her to third on a sacrifice bunt, and both Emerson and Mahoney hit infield singles to load the bases for Miller-Godsey.
 
The freshman then smacked a double over the left fielder's head to score Meehan and Emerson for the winning runs.
 
England in the bottom half of the eighth recorded a critical strikeout with runners on second and third and one out, and after allowing a walk to load the bases, the sophomore induced a groundball that was collected for a force out at third by senior Summer Mendoza to end the game.
 
Junior Irene Herrera started in the circle for the Knights in the nightcap, tossing 4.1 innings and allowing only two runs on eight hits and five walks.

The Knights are returning to New Jersey on Sunday and then preparing to go back on the road for their next three games, playing two games against Morgan State and one game against Providence from March 2-3.