Jackson Township, N.J.- FDU softball finished the weekend off in perfect fashion as they toppled Bucknell 7-6 in the first game of the day, followed by a stellar pitching performance from
Brooklyn Shroyer who had 17 K's in the game against Hofstra securing a 1-0 victory.
Hofstra opened the game up early as they jumped out to a 3-0 in the top of the first inning thanks to a three run RBI double by Popella.
FDU answered quickly as Erika Barela hit an RBI single in the bottom of the second that scored Megan Berg. With 2 runners on base the Knights were in a great spot when Abbey Hoesman stepped up the the plate who went a perfect 2-2 in yesterday's game vs. Bucknell with two doubles. Hoesman stayed hot and hit an RBI single to right field which scored Andreya Flores to make it a one run game.
Bucknell scored again in the second inning with an RBI single and two runs in the in the fourth to extend their lead to four.
Hoesman on fire, stepped up to the plate in the fourth inning and singled to record her fourth hit in as many plate appearances over the weekend. Celeste Quezada recorded her third RBI of the season with a single to cut the lead down to three. Isabella Herring then smashed a powerful triple down the right field line, bringing in two runs and narrowing the gap to just one run as the game progressed into the fifth inning.
The Knights knotted the game up in the sixth inning thanks to heroic baserunning from Hayden Salter who stole home.
Given the opportunity to clinch the game, coach Chris Foye made a strategic move, calling on Zoe Valdez to pinch hit with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning. This decision paid off big time as Valdez hit a single to walk the game off for the Knights who won 7-6.
FDU secured win number three of the season and recorded their most amount of runs scored in a game this season with seven. Brooklyn Shroyer was credited with the win as she stepped into pitch and recorded the final four outs of the game striking out two batters while allowing zero hits.
With already two credited pitching wins on the weekend Freshman Brooklyn Shroyer stepped on the mound in a groove heading into the final game of the three-game weekend.
Shroyer walked the first batter but took control of the game after that by striking out nine batters in the first three innings.
Brooklyn continued her dominance in the fourth inning on the mound aided by a nice defensive play from Quezada at shortstop. Shroyer struck out two more batters, further solidifying her stellar performance.
In the fifth inning, Shroyer notched one strikeout, marking her lowest count of strikeouts in an inning during the entire game. This brought her total number of strikeouts to 12.
The Knights stayed hot at the plate after the first game as they recorded eight hits in five innings but could not seem to find a way to score.
Shroyer found herself in a hole during the sixth when she recorded the first out of the inning by way of a sacrifice bunt that moved the runners over and put them in scoring position at second and third base. With unwavering confidence, Shroyer understood that her best course of action to escape the inning was to rely on what she does best. True to form, she proceeded to strike out the next two batters showcasing that when the lights shine bright, she's up for the task.
FDU finally broke the deadlock when it mattered most in the top of the seventh inning. Riley Cunningham started things off with a double down the right field line. In red hot hitting form, Hoesman stepped up to the plate and delivered with a single to record her seventh hit of the weekend and move Cunningham over to third. Salter then hit an RBI single through the right side to give the Knights a 1-0 lead.
With over 100 pitches through six inning and 119 pitches in the first two games for Shroyer, once again, coach Foye had a tough decision to make. Foye opted to send her out in the bottom of seventh inning and once again, his decision paid off. Hofstra sent up a pinch hitter for each of their last three at bats but did not have an answer for Shroyer who struck out the side finishing the game with 17 strikeouts.
The Knights won the game by a score of 1-0 thanks to a stellar performance by freshman pitcher Brooklyn Shroyer. She faced 27 batters while only allowing three hits with 128 pitches thrown. 17 strikeouts mark the highest number of strikeouts by any DI pitcher in the nation at this point in the season.
The Knights will travel to Hampton, Virginia, to participate in the HU/NSU Classic on March 1st, playing in five games across three days. The action begins with a matchup against Hampton at 12:30 p.m.
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