NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - Fairleigh Dickinson softball (7-12, 1-1 NEC) let the bats do the talking in game two of the Knights' conference-opening series Friday at Central Connecticut as FDU looks to go for the series win on Sunday, March 20, against the Blue Devils.

Game one of the doubleheader was all FDU through five innings of play as the Burgundy and Blue enjoyed a one-run lead from the fifth inning until the bottom of the sixth when CCSU erased freshman Payton Wagner's score by way of situational hitting from the bat of junior Cassidy Triska. With just two hits in the early afternoon matchup, the Knights went cold at the plate after a monster series at Monmouth earlier in the week which produced 12 combined hits in the two contests played. Chris Foye sent senior Alayna Savaglio to the circle where she threw a complete game six innings pitched, allowing four hits, two runs (earned), while striking out four and walking one.

Things looked up for FDU in game two of the day as the Burgundy and Blue struck early at CCSU Softball Field with Savaglio taking on duties as designated player, doubling to center to score freshman Sabrina Javorsky to give FDU a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Despite some chances on the basepath, nothing would come for either side until the top half of the sixth frame when Savaglio again would partner with "Sleeveless Javo" to produce another run, this time by way of an RBI single again to deep center. Allowing two runs in the home half of the sixth, the ballgame was knotted-up at two runs each which is when things got interested. Two-time NEC Rookie of the Week and one-time Player of the Week Jess DeWitt was due-up third for the Knights and producer a monster two-run blast, her second-career round-tripper. The San Diego, Calif. product scored Triska who reached base earlier in the inning with a triple of her own. In the next at-bat, fellow California native and rookie Andreya Flores went long for a solo home run, the first of her intercollegiate career. After turning to freshman Julia Swan to throw the nightcap, Foye brought in junior Malori Bell who sat the Blue Devils down in order in the bottom of the seventh to retire the side and the ballgame as the Knights would win it, 5-2.

"It was a tough first game today. Despite a great effort by Alayna both on the mound and at the plate we just couldn't get our offense going," commented Foye. "Julia had another great outing in our second game today and Jess and Drey [Flores] hit huge back-to-back HR's in the seventh to put us ahead and Malori came on in relief and pitched a great bottom half to shut the door. Looking forward to coming back on Sunday to finish off the series on a high note!"

FDU closes-out the first league series of the season on Sunday at CCSU with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. live on NEC Front Row from New Britain, Conn.