FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team (4-14, 4-12 NEC) recorded its first sweep of the season in Saturday's NEC doubleheader with Sacred Heart (8-16, 6-10 NEC) as they won game one 11-6 and game two 5-4 on Saturday afternoon from Pioneer Park.
In game one, the Knights scored eight runs in the third inning to help propel them to the win. Senior
Rylie Schmeh went 1-2 from the dish and her hit was a three-run homer. Schmeh also scored two runs and drew a walk. Graduate student
Madison Emerson went 2-3, with a home run and a double, drove in two runs, and scored three runs.
Fellow graduate student
Summer Mendoza was 2-5, with a triple, two RBI's, and a run scored. Sophomores
Cassidy Triska and
Savannah Thornell, and junors
Courtney Mahoney and
Alayna Savaglio also recorded RBI's in the game. Senior
Abby England was credited with her first win of the year on the mound and struck out six batters.
In game two, Triska opened the game with an RBI single that scored Mendoza and drove in a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, and went 3-4. Emerson also brought home a run and Schmeh roped an RBI double in the contest. Savaglio picked up her third win of the year after allowing only two hits, striking out nine batters, and pitching a complete game while allowing four runs.
Coach Foye's Thoughts
"Cassidy had a huge day at the plate going 5-8 and no hit was bigger than her double in the top of the 7th to drive in two which ended up being the winning runs. She also had 2 stolen bases to get into scoring position and had 4 RBI's. Rylie had been struggling a little bit this season but she really proved herself today with her first career home run which she really needed to build back her confidence."
"Summer continues to find a way to get on base, she has been a great lead off hitter for us this year and has been very consistent which is what our team needs. We have been scoring more runs of late and she has played a big part in that. Maddie came up big with a 2 run home run to shorten their lead in the first game which gave us momentum and gave our pitchers some relief. She has been our best hitter this year and her intentional walk to our her on base ended up being the winning run.just in time for Cass to come up clutch and score them both, to give us the lead 5-4."
Game 1: FDU 11, Sacred Heart 6
How it Happened
- Triska opened the game with an RBI double to center field in the top of the first as FDU grabbed an early 1-0 lead.
- After Sacred Heart scored two runs in the bottom of the first, senior Abby England struck out the side in the bottom of the second and the Knights erupted for eight runs in the top of the third.
- After Mahoney reached base with one out in the top of the third, Emerson belted a two-run homer to left field to regain a 3-2 lead, the homer was Emerson's third of the season.
- Triska then singled, stole a base, and was driven in by a Thornell single through the right side and Thornell then reached second on a single from Savaglio.
- With Thornell and Savaglio on base, Schmeh belted her first homer of the year as FDU now led 7-2 with only one out and after a fielder's choice from senior Logan Kolehmainen, Mendoza came up and added another run with an RBI triple to right field.
- Mendoza scored the final run of the inning off a double from Mahoney as FDU led 9-2 and England retired the Pioneers in order to keep the lead at seven through three innings.
- SHU got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth off a homer from Emily Carroll, but the Knights responded with a run of their own in the top of the fifth off an RBI single from Mendoza that scored Schmeh.
- After SHU added another run in the bottom of the fifth, Savaglio matched the run with an RBI fielder's choice that scored Emerson.
- Sophomore Malori Bell came in and closed the game for the Knights as FDU took game one by an 11-6 margin.
Game 2: FDU 5, Sacred Heart 4
How it Happened
- Triska started game two like she did in game one with an RBI single through the left side of the infield that scored Mendoza to give FDU an early 1-0 lead.
- Savaglio took the bump for FDU in game two and retired six of the seven SHU batters that came up in the first and second innings, sending fourth of them down via the strikeout and forced a ground out and fly out as well.
- Emerson then added a run to FDU's lead in the top of the third with an RBI that went off the glove of a Pioneer and scored freshman Riley Phillips.
- SHU loaded the bases in the bottom of the third as they drew three walks, scored a run on a wild pitch, and Amy Petrovich belted a three-run homer to left field to give SHU a 4-2 lead after three innings of play.
- The Knights cut into the lead to one in the top of the fourth as Schmeh delivered an RBI double that scored freshman Megan Berg and after SHU got a runner to third in the bottom of the fourth, Savaglio stuck out the next two batters to get out of the jam.
- Triska singled and stole a base to get into scoring position in the top of the fifth, but was left on second and Savaglio pitched two more clean innings in the fifth and sixth.
- With two outs in the top of the seventh, Mahoney reached second base on an error and Emerson was intentionally walked to bring Triska up to the dish and roped a double down the left field line to give FDU a 5-4 lead entering the bottom of the seventh.
- Savaglio surrendered a walk to start the inning and retired the next two batters before the Pioneers season-leading home run hitter came to the plate and belted a ball to left field that was caught by Mahoney to end the game.
What's Next
FDU will play the final two games of the series against Sacred Heart tomorrow, beginning at 12:00 p.m. from Pioneer Park. The game can be viewed on NEC Front Row.
