HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team returns to the diamond after a week-long break to play a road doubleheader at Hartford on Wednesday afternoon starting at 2:30 p.m.
 
There will not be a live stream available for Wednesday's games, but live stats will be available to follow on hartfordhawks.com for fans that cannot attend the games at the Hartford Softball Field in West Hartford.
 
ENTERING THE GAMES
The Knights (7-18) swept Saint Peter's in their last outing on March 19, winning 9-0 and 8-5. The Knights totaled 20 hits in the two games and held the Peacocks to just eight hits total, including only one hit in the 9-0 shutout. Senior Baylee Ports pitched the complete game shutout, allowing the lone hit and a walk while striking out a season-high eight batters. Junior Madison Emerson went 6-for-8 at the dish with a double, three RBI and three runs scored across both games. Sophomore Abby England also hit the first home run of the season for the Knights, finishing the first game with a 2-for-4 day and also collecting a double and three RBI. Emerson and Ports were both recognized as NEC Prime Performers on Tuesday for their performances at Saint Peter's.
 
LEADERS FOR THE KNIGHTS
Emerson enters the series with a team-best .347 batting average, leading the team as well in total hits (26), total bases (30), walks (10), on-base percentage (.430) and OPS (.830). Sophomore Rylie Schmeh has a team-high nine RBI to go with two triples, seven runs scored and a .280 batting average, while freshmen Courtney Mahoney and Amarys Miller-Godsey lead the Knights with four doubles apiece. In the circle, Ports leads the team with a 3.44 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 57 innings pitched, six complete games and two shutouts among her three victories, while England has a team-high 38 strikeouts in 49 innings pitched.
 
CERVANTES RECORD WATCH
With her next hit, senior Reanna Cervantes will move into a tie for third on the FDU all-time hits list with her 138th career knock. The senior already is a record holder for career triples (5) and also recently moved into third for total bases (225) in program history. Cervantes also ranks in the top 10 at FDU in slugging percentage (.524, second), batting average (.319, third), doubles (33, third), RBI (73, third), home runs (15, fourth), on-base percentage (.364, sixth), and runs scored (63, ninth).
 
GOING AT 100
With her next base knock, junior Madison Emerson will have recorded her 100th hit of her career, having played in 110 games in her FDU career thus far. Her career batting average of .299 ranks seventh among all Knights with at least 200 at-bats, and among her 99 career hits thus far are 15 career doubles and one triple, leading to 26 runs scored and 33 RBI.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Since 2007, the Knights have a 3-5 record against Hartford. The Knights have won three of the last five times the teams have played, winning by a 13-5 margin in the third of three games last year. Cervantes and Emerson each finished 2-for-3 in the victory, with Cervantes hitting a home run while driving in and scoring two runs and Emerson collecting a double as one of her two base knocks. Holly Mercier scored three runs while Summer Mendoza and Rylie Schmeh each drove in two runs in the biggest offensive showing for the Knights last season.
 
SCOUTING HARTFORD
The Hawks (6-10) won each of their last two games of their hosted Nor'Eastern Classic Tournament this past weekend, defeating Siena 7-5 and Manhattan by a 5-4 margin. The Hawks lost each of their first six games to start the season but have since gone 6-4, including three wins against Central Connecticut and a win over Sacred Heart. Hartford plays Saint Peter's on Tuesday at home as well before hosting the Knights the following day. Sophomore Danielle Rocheleau is hitting .509 this season with three home runs, 12 runs scored and 15 runs driven in to lead the Hawks offensively, while freshman Julianna Kocenski is 4-5 with a 4.90 ERA in 60 innings pitched to go with 25 strikeouts in the circle.
 
UP NEXT
The Knights host their first two home series and conference series of the 2019 season this weekend, taking on Sacred Heart and LIU Brooklyn on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, at the FDU Softball Field. FDU plays Sacred Heart starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday in a doubleheader, then hosts LIU Brooklyn the following day for a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. Sunday's games will be streamed live on NEC Front Row, weather permitting.