FAIRFIELD, Conn. - After beginning Northeast Conference play 0-3, FDU softball (11-4, 3-3 NEC) returned with a vengeance, toppling Sacred Heart on the road in a three-game sweep of the Pioneers. FDU takes on Manhattan on Tuesday, March 28 at home in the first home games of the 2023 campaign.

In game one, FDU opened the scoring in a three-run first inning while Sacred Heart was only able to answer back with a lone tally in the home half of the inning. FDU's trio of runs came from a three-run blast of the bat of sophomore Andreya Flores to score Megan Berg and Cassidy Triska. Later in the game, senior Savannah Thornell would put the icing on the cake in the 5-2 victory with a two-run homer to left center to score sophomore Payton Wagner. Sophomore Julia Swan made the start, her first of two apperances on the weekend, and locked down a complete game allowing just two earned runs with a strikeout in 29 recorded at-bats faced.

Moving ahead to game two on Sunday, senior southpaw Alayna Savaglio made the start and recorded double-digit strikeouts and did not allow the run with all of her offensive support coming in the final inning as FDU finished with a 7-0 victory. Reaching base on a fielder's choice, fifth-year Courtney Mahoney scored Triska and Isabella Herring, giving FDU a 2-0 lead late in the ballgame. A two-run RBI single off the bat of reigning NEC Rookie of the Year Jess DeWitt doubled the run total followed by runs scored by DeWitt, Angela Costa and Flores to round-out the shutout win of the Pioneers.

Closing the three-game series, the two sides traded hits in the opening inning before the Knights broke open the scoring with a run notched by Mahoney in the second. Sacred Heart answered back two innings later with a pair of runs in the home fourth and three runs the following inning before the FDU bats got cooking in the seventh with five runs etched by Chris Foye's side. The icing on the cake as a sacrifice fly to right field by Mahoney to score Hayden Salter, the game's winning run. Senior Malori Bell made the start and threw 4.1 innings of work, relieved by Swan who would go on to earn the win.

"Today was a great day scratching out two big wins," said Foye. "I am very proud of the players for battling to score 12 total runs in the seventh inning of both games to pull out both wins. It was an amazing all around team effort. Players came off the bench to get us some big hits and our pitching was solid once again. We have had our struggles but the team has been working very hard and we starting to put some things together. We will be looking to carry the positive vibes over to our home opener on Tuesday."

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