SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team fell in two close Northeast Conference games at Bryant, dropping the first game 4-3 and the second game 5-2.
 
The Knights (10-29, 2-6 NEC) held a 3-0 lead after five innings of the first game, but the Bulldogs (11-25, 7-1 NEC), rallied for four unanswered runs in the final two innings to win the first game, then took an early lead in the second game that the Knights could not overcome.
 
Senior Reanna Cervantes led the Knights offensively, going 2-for-6 with a home run and a RBI single. The roundtripper was her third of the season and 18th of her career, and she also increased her career RBI total to 81, moving into sole possession of second on FDU's all-time RBI list.
 
Senior Serena Meehan collected hits in each game as well, while junior Summer Mendoza went 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the first game.
 
The Knights took the early lead in game one with Meehan singling up the middle and later scoring on an error that allowed freshman Amarys Miller-Godsey to reach base with two outs in the top of the second.
 
Cervantes added to the Knights lead in the next inning with a line drive single to center that plated Mendoza to make it 2-0.
 
Senior Baylee Ports then pitched her way past a potential threat in the bottom half of the inning, striking out Morgan Powell to get out of a jam with two runners on base. She also pitched around a two-out double and a walk in the fourth inning, inducing a foul popup that Meehan tracked down to end the Bryant rally.
 
FDU then rallied for runs again in the fifth inning, with Mendoza starting the rally with a single up the middle. She then stole second and advanced to third on an error, and sophomore Rylie Schmeh kept up the pressure by stealing second as well. The Bryant catcher threw behind to third, but the throw was not handled by the third baseman, allowing Mendoza to come home and score to make it 3-0.
 
The Bulldogs applied their own pressure in the bottom of the sixth, with consecutive walks chasing Ports from the game. England came in as the relief pitcher, walked the next batter to load the bases and then hit the following batter to break the shutout. England then struck out each of the next two batters, but Toni Camarillo then grounded a single up the middle that drove in two runs, tying the game at 3-3. England then struck out the next batter to end the rally.
 
The Knights went down in order in the seventh, and with two outs in the bottom of the inning, Bryant's Kaleigh Goulart hit a walk-off home run to end the game.
 
Ports struck out five batters in five-plus innings, allowing only three hits and two runs while walking four batters. England recorded three strikeouts in earning the loss.
 
In the second game, both teams were held scoreless through two innings, but Bryant struck for two runs in the third inning with a two-out double to take the lead.
 
Schmeh then recorded the first Knight hit with a leadoff single in the fourth, and two batters later, Meehan lined a single to center to bring Schmeh home and cut the deficit to 2-1.
 
The Bulldogs, however, responded with a solo home run in the next frame to make it 3-1. Bryant later added two more runs in the sixth on a triple to increase the lead to 5-1.
 
Cervantes then hit her long home run over the left field fence to lead off the top of the seventh. Meehan then hit a big fly toward center that fell just short of hitting the fence, instead leading to an out. Senior Holly Mercier kept the late rally going by roping a double to left center, but Bryant then recorded the final out on a strikeout.
 
Junior Erica Johnson struck out five batters in the complete game loss, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks.
 
The Knights play again on the road Sunday, taking on Central Connecticut State in a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.