HACKENSACK, N.J. - On a picture-perfect Saturday afternoon in Northern New Jersey, the Fairleigh Dickinson softball team (22-21, 12-8 NEC) celebrated the program's four seniors in Riley De Laval, Courtney Mahoney, Alayna Savaglio and Jillian Ward in a pregame ceremony prior to the first of two crucial Northeast Conference contests against LIU.

As she has most of the season, Savaglio made the start in the opener, her 21st of the season. Tossing five scoreless innings, Savaglio had help on offense to lift the Knights to a pivotal 6-4 victory over the Sharks to extend the FDU win streak to three-consecutive games, though the streak would be snapped following the second game. Allowing a one out hit, Savaglio quickly retired the following two batters to get out of trouble in the top of the first and limit the potential damage to just one baserunner. The Middletown, N.Y. native was able to breath a sigh of relief when reigning NEC Player of the Week, junior shortstop Cassidy Triska, was hit by a pitch in the first at-bat of the game for the Knights to give FDU an early runner on base.

Batting in the two-spot as she has as of late, Mahoney perfectly placed a bunt in front of the Sharks' pitcher for a single to give the Burgundy and Blue their first runner in scoring position and a little insurance at first base with no outs. Four-time NEC Rookie of the Week Jess DeWitt made her 42nd start of the campaign at second base and added to the first inning with a single to center, juicing the bases for an RBI opportunity for fellow rookie Andreya Flores. Flores would walk in her plate appearance to put the Knights up 1-0 and earn an RBI for her efforts. Followed by freshman Sabrina Javorsky who started at catcher, a productive 4-3 putout would score another FDU run in the form of Mahoney to push DeWitt to third and Flores to second with the Knights up 2-0.

Designated Player, junior Hailey Ramberg, was intentionally walked in her first at-bat to restock the bases for sophomore right fielder Megan Berg who would lace a base hit through the shortstop's legs and bat-in DeWitt to make the score 3-0 in favor of the home side. Reaching first on an error to cap the scoring affair, De Laval would help score Flores sending the Knights into the second frame with a 4-0 advantage.

In her second inning of work, Savaglio would retire the side in order, fielding a line out to the first batter, followed by a pair of strikeouts to send FDU back to the plate, though the club would only produce an outfield single in the frame. Moving to the bottom of the third, Ramberg led things off with a single to left, though with heads-up base running was able to advance to second on an error by the left fielder. Ramberg would be pinch run for by newcomer LoriAnne O'Connor who would score the fifth run of the game for Chris Foye's side on an RBI double by Ward which would be enough for the visitors to go to their bullpen 2.1 innings into the ballgame. With Ward on second, De Laval would advance her fellow senior to third base with a strategic groundout, preparing the deck for Triska. The Murrieta, Calif. native Triska would bat-in RBI No. 30 on the season with a single to straight-away center field, scoring Ward to give her team a 6-0 lead. Triska would advance to second with her 12th stolen base (on 12 attempts) of the season, though she'd be stranded in scoring position.

With another 1-2-3 inning for the Middletown, N.Y. product Savaglio, the Knights would follow suit, sitting down in order as the contest quickly progressed to the fifth inning. 

Having a pair of runners on base in the sixth, LIU would tack on their four runs in the top half of the inning beginning with a two-run RBI single by Maya Avila, cutting the FDU lead to four. Avila's hit would be followed by a two-run shot by Angelina Reno to make the score 6-4, though FDU would hold on in the final inning and a half.

Savaglio tossed her 13th complete game of the season at FDU Softball Field Saturday and moved to 12-7 on the season with the decision. She finished with a line of nine H, four R, four ER, one BB and eight strikeouts in 30 batters faced.

Ward recorded the only stolen base for FDU while the lone extra-base hit came off the bat of Jersey City native Ward for a double. Each of the Knights' eight hits in the game were produced by eight individuals with no FDU student-athlete recording more than a single hit.

Foye turned to junior Malori Bell to handle business in the circle for the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader with the remainder of the lineup remaining in-tact from the opener. Scoreless through one, the Sharks would knock-in a run in the top of the second to go up 1-0 early on. Triska would answer back in the bottom half of the following inning with a two-run home run, her 13th of the year, to give the Knights a one-run lead.

A runner on third and a SAC fly would be enough for LIU to tie the game at two runs all in the fourth and the side would tack-on two more in the following inning as LIU would hold-on for the 4-2 victory in the evening bout of the twin bill. Bell would be relieved by freshman Julia Swan a third of the way through the fifth inning of play. The Whippany Park native would finish with three hits allowed and five strikeouts in 11 batters faced, though she would not receive a decision in the contest.

The series finale scheduled for tomorrow, May 1 is now the rubber game of this three-game series with all the action from Hackensack set to get underway at 12 p.m. live on NEC Front Row from FDU Softball Field.