MADISON, N.J. – Junior Sydney Worek (Bordentown, N.J.) came out and pitched her third consecutive gem for the Devils and led them to a 4-1 victory in game one of a Freedom Conference doubleheader against Wilkes University, but the Colonels got the best of the Devils in game two and came out on top 4-1 Saturday afternoon in Madison, N.J.
Junior Nikki Caruso (Madison, N.J.) went 1-for-3 in the first game of the doubleheader, but her lone hit was a double down the left field line. The double was her 14th of the year and she now holds the school record for most doubles in a single season.
Worek has been red hot as of late on the mound for the Devils (8-16, 5-7 Freedom) and she continued her dominance, striking out the first three batters of the game. She was locked in, mowing down the Colonels' (7-17, 3-9 Freedom) batters until the fourth inning when Lacey Bixler hit a home run over the right field fence.
In bottom half of the fourth, Paige Lillie (Mount Laurel, N.J.) led off the inning by rifling a single through the left side. Two batters later, Wynne McCann (Boyertown, Pa.) stepped up and hit a booming double in the left center gap. With two runners on, Michelle Mangini (West Babylon, N.Y.) hit an RBI single into left to tie the game up at 1-1. The very next batter, Jaclyn Herrington (Huntington, N.Y.), sent a hard liner into deep left field and McCann came around to score to give the Devils their first lead of the game.
After Worek worked through a flawless fifth inning, the Devils came up to bat and Christina Legotti (Plainview, N.Y.) led off with a single to right center. The Colonels managed to record two more outs in the inning. However, Lilllie stepped up to the plate and blasted a shot over the center field fence for a two-run home run. Lillie ended the game batting 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBI and a homer.
With a 4-1 lead, Worek had no trouble the rest of the way and she finished the game tying her career-high in strikeouts with 10. She has now recorded an impressive 27 strikeouts in her last three outings.
Worek remained on the mound for the Devils in the second game but she did not fare as well as she did in game one.
In the second inning, Worek got the first two batters for Wilkes out with ease. However, after four straight walks, the Colonels got on the board. With the bases now loaded, Alex Hoops came up and shot a two-RBI single into left field and the Colonels took a 3-0 lead.
The Devils struggled offensively this time around, but in the third inning Taylor Torre (Matawan, N.J.) reached base safely on an error by a Colonels' fielder. Legotti then came up swinging with Torre on first and sent a hard hit double down the left field line. FDU-Florham got on the board once Marlena Bevilacqua (East Brunswick, N.J.) notched an RBI infield single.
With a 3-1 lead and the Devils bats being quieted by a strong outing from Kim Jones, the Colonels managed to plate one last run in the top of the seventh and went on to seal the 4-1 victory over the Devils.
The Devils will not travel far for their next road contest as they take on the College of Saint Elizabeth in a doubleheader on Sunday, April 19, at 12 p.m.
