HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team travels down to Philadelphia on Thursday for a non-conference doubleheader at Drexel starting at 2 p.m.
 
Both games will be streamed live for free on drexeldragons.com, and live stats for both games will be available as well for fans that cannot attend the games at Drexel Softball Field.
 
ENTERING THE DAY
The Knights (8-21) are coming off their first NEC home games of the season this past weekend, splitting with preseason favorite Sacred Heart thank to a 3-2, 11-inning victory on Saturday. FDU initially tied the game in the fourth inning on a Holly Mercier RBI double, and junior Summer Mendoza extended the game in the 10th with a RBI single after the Pioneers had scored in the top half of the inning. Sophomore Abby England then set down the Pioneers in order in the top half of the 11th, and freshman Courtney Mahoney brought home the winning run in the bottom of the inning with a RBI groundout.
 
KNIGHT LEADERS
Junior Madison Emerson is the Knights' leading hitter this season with a .347 batting average and 26 hits in 25 games. Sophomore Rylie Schmeh is batting close to .300 as well (.297) and leads the NEC with four triples, totaling more three-baggers by herself than six of the other eight teams in the NEC have for the entire season. She also leads the team with 10 runs scored and nine RBI this season with a .876 OPS. Senior Reanna Cervantes and freshman Courtney Mahoney each lead the team with five doubles. In the circle, England and senior Baylee Ports each have three wins to lead the team, with England sporting a 3.62 ERA in 38.2 innings pitched with 33 strikeouts and Ports having a 3.76 ERA in a team-high 67 innings pitched with 40 strikeouts. Junior Erica Johnson leads the Knights with a 3.56 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 61 innings pitched.
 
RECENT HISTORY
The Knights enter Thursday's games having not won in six previous games against Drexel, but the last time the two teams met was in 2009. This will be the Knights' first trip to play at Drexel since 2008, when the teams first met.
 
SCOUTING DREXEL
The Dragons (19-11-1) have won each of their last four games, including a doubleheader sweep of Coppin State on Tuesday. The Dragons won the first game 17-2, knocking a total of 15 hits in the game while only giving up two in the process. Drexel also won the nightcap, 7-1. The Dragons are led offensively by Kristi DiMeo and Linda Rush. DiMeo is batting .490 with 13 home runs and 51 RBI to go with 10 doubles, ranking third in Division I in total RBI, and Rush is hitting .454 with 12 home runs, 47 RBI and 41 runs scored. In the circle Brooklyn Daly is 11-2 this season with a 3.31 ERA in 78.1 innings pitched to go with 42 strikeouts, while Devon Grippe has a 2.14 ERA in 72 innings pitched with 31 strikeouts. Drexel is coming off a 21-29-2 season last year, going 3-18 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
 
UP NEXT
The Knights stay on the road for their first NEC doubleheader of the weekend, playing at Mount St. Mary's on Saturday starting at 1 p.m., before returning to Hackensack to make up the previously rained out doubleheader against LIU Brooklyn the following day beginning at 2 p.m.