JACKSONVILLE, N.J. - The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team (4-10, 0-0 NEC) is looking to get back on the right track following two losses on the second day of the UNF-JU Spring Break Challenge. FDU first faced Holy Cross in the morning tilt, falling 11-0 in six innings, and in the evening matchup to one of the event's two hosts, Jacksonville, in an eight-inning thriller, 4-3.

Starting off the bout against the Crusaders, both sides were in a deadlock scoreless draw until the fourth inning when Holy Cross exploded for six runs. The Patriot League side would tack on five more in the top half of the fifth to seal the shortened victory for the Crusaders. FDU was out-hit 12-3 in the contest with junior Cassidy Triska logging an extra-base hit followed by another double from senior Jillian Ward and a single from third-year Courtney Mahoney to round-out the hits for the Burgundy and Blue.

Knights head coach Chris Foye sent rookie Payton Wagner to the circle to start the game for FDU. The newcomer from Simi Valley, Calif. tossed 3.1 innings, allowing six hits, three runs (all unearned) in 17 batters faced. She was relieved by fellow freshman Julian Swan who came on for 1.2 innings of work. The Whippany, N.J. product recorded the first strikeout for the Knights, allowing a hit and three unearned runs. Mia Faieta, a junior transfer from nearby Cedar Grove, N.J., made her second appearance for the Knights, dealing the final inning.

In the nightcap, the Knights' bats got off to an electric start with Triska taking Jacksonville pitcher Ashlee Harwood deep on the second pitch of the game for her first home run of the season to put FDU up 1-0. The Knights' lead would remain in-tact through the fourth inning until the fifth when freshman Andreya Flores singled up the middle in the top of the fifth to score Mahoney and fellow rookie Jess DeWitt to give the Burgundy and Blue a three-run cushion. The Dolphins would tack-on three runs in three separate plays with fundamental hitting to tie the ballgame at three runs all. Pushing the bout to extras, Jacksonville would walk-off in the bottom of the eighth, 4-3. Senior Alayna Savaglio made her second appearance of the weekend, pitching seven innings, the fourth time this season the Knights' ace recorded seven or more innings.

FDU heads home to the Garden State tomorrow, March 6, following the tournament finale when the Knights face Monmouth for the second time this season at 10 a.m. in the Sunshine State as the UNF-JU Spring Break Challenge winds down.