STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – FDU softball split an NEC doubleheader with Wagner on Friday afternoon. The Knights took the first game by a score of 6-2, before falling 5-4 in the second.
FDU jumped out to a red-hot start in game one of the doubleheader. The Knights tacked five runs on in the top of the first to take an immediate lead.
Amanda Jupinka jump-started the offense with a two-run single.
Mikayla Conklin and
Kailee O'Sullivan would each drive in runs, before Conklin stole home to give the Knights a 5-0 lead. Wagner would get a run back in the bottom of the first, and add another in the second inning; after that, FDU starter
Jamie Sencion settled in and shut down the Seahawks. Sencion hurled a complete game, allowing just five hits and two runs, while striking out three. The Knights would add an insurance run on a 7th inning RBI single by
Madison Rishel, leading to a 6-2 win.
Wagner flipped the script on FDU in game two, jumping out to an early lead of their own in the second match-up. Wagner took an early 4-0 lead off FDU starter
Sierra Albright. FDU struggled to get their bats going against Wagner starter Samantha Lotus, being held scoreless across the first five frames. Then, the sixth inning saw the Knights begin to rally.
Amanda Jupinka stayed hot at the plate, again sparking the offense with an RBI single. The Knights would tack on two more runs to cut the Wagner lead to 5-3. In the seventh inning, the Knights were down to their last out, when Jupinka again stepped up to the plate. She delivered yet again, driving a single up the middle to make it a 5-4 ballgame.
Brianna Holguin stood on second base as the tying run, with Jupinka on first as the go-ahead run, but
Mikayla Conklin grounded out to shortstop, cutting the Knights' comeback short.
Weather permitting, FDU and Wagner will play the third game of their weekend series on Saturday or Sunday. Updates will be made available once known.
