HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team (7-17, 7-15 NEC) took the opening game in the doubleheader with a 9-0 win in five innings, but dropped game two 10-5 against Wagner (11-15, 7-15 NEC) on Saturday afternoon from the FDU Softball Field.

In game one, graduate student Madison Emerson went 2-2 and belted a pair of home runs that drove in FDU's first three runs of the game. Senior Rylie Schmeh went 2-3, including a triple that plated home two runs. Freshman Rylie Phillips ended the game in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run homer to center field. Sophomore Malori Bell pitched a complete game and earned her second win of the year. Juniors Courtney Mahoney and Jillian Ward each drove in a run after each hit doubles.

In game two, sophomore Cassidy Triska belted a two-run homer. Schmeh went 2-3 from the dish and recorded an RBI. Sophomore Savannah Thornell batted 2-4 with a triple and a run scored. Graduate student Summer Mendoza, Mahoney, and Emerson accounted for FDU's other three RBI's.

Coach Foye's Thoughts
"After splitting yesterday's games we came back today with our first shut out in 5 innings. In game two, we came to the show a little late but got the bats going in innings 5, 6, and 7. We fought hard once again the last 3 innings, but unfortunately couldn't make up a 5 run deficit. We had two tough losses this weekend but we fought hard and I feel good about our remaining 10 conference games as we make a push for the playoffs."

"Maddie continues to impress us every at bat. She keeps coming up in clutch situations and continues to execute, today she hit 2 HR's in the double header and just missed a 3rd. She was intentionally walked twice just to avoid her hitting. Rylie Schmeh keeps finding a way on base and had a huge triple down the right field line to score two and give us a five run lead in the first game."

"Riley Philips came up ready to go and you can see she wanted to walk it off. When she swings she swings hard and that's just what she did to walk it off with her first career HR. She also dropped a bunt down for a hit. She really stepped up and gave us a spark today. Malori pitched five awesome innings for a shutout today. She looked very comfortable out there and her defense played well behind her." 

Game 1: FDU 9, Wagner 0 (F/5)
How it Happened

• Bell took the bump for the Knights in game one and pitched a clean first inning before Emerson belted a two-run homer to right center that brought home Mahoney to give FDU a 2-0 advantage.
• After two more scoreless innings from Bell, Emerson hit her second homer of the game and fifth of the season to extend the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third.
• Triska then singled to center, stole second, and reached third off a hit from Thornell, which brought Schmeh to the dish with runners on the corners and Schmeh slashed a triple to right center to score two more runs.
• Wagner loaded the bases in the top of the fourth, but Bell got out of the jam as she got Nora Conway to pop out to end the top half of the inning.
• Mahoney then doubled home Phillips in the bottom of the fourth to push the lead to 6-0 and ended the game in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI double from Ward and a two-run homer from Phillips, the first homer of her career as FDU won 9-0.

Game 2: Wagner 10, FDU 5
How it Happened

• Bell took the ball again in game two, but Wagner opened the contest with two runs and a third run was prevented from scoring by an outfield assist from Schmeh to Triska to senior catcher Logan Kolehmainen, who tagged the runner out at home.
• Wagner scored two more runs in the top of the third and Mendoza doubled to right field in the bottom half, but was left on second base.
• After the Knights got a pair of base runners on in the bottom of the fourth and Wagner scored a run in the top of the fifth, Mahoney hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Phillips and Emerson then belted a double that went off the top of the wall in center to score Kolehmainen to cut the deficit to 5-2.
• Wagner plated another run in the top of the sixth, but FDU answered back with a run of their own in the bottom half with an RBI from Mendoza that scored Schmeh.
• After Wagner scored four runs in the top of the seventh, Triska homered to center field and Schmeh recorded an RBI single that scored Thornell after her triple that get her to third base.

What's Next
FDU will welcome Mount St. Mary's to the FDU Softball Field to finish its series with a doubleheader beginning on Tuesday, April 27 at 1:00 p.m.