WEEHAWKEN, N.J. – The FDU-Florham softball team played in their final road contest in the 2015 season and was defeated by the Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks 7-1 in game one and 4-0 in game two of a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon in Weehawken, N.J.
In game one, the Devils (10-22, 5-9 Freedom) ran into Ducks (26-7-1, 10-4 Empire 8) pitcher, Kayla Berardi, who has now earned a win in eight straight appearances on the mound. Against the Devils she tossed seven innings, while striking out seven batters and allowing just four hits.
The Ducks were first to get on the board and it was in the bottom half of the third when Sydney Spitz and Jamie DeGennaro notched back-to-back solo home runs to take a 2-0 lead. Following the DeGennaro homer, Jessica Rees sent a double down the left field line and came around to score on a Lauren Shirley RBI single up the middle.
Trailing by three runs, Taylor Torre (Matawan, N.J.) came out in the top half of the fourth and knocked a single into center field. The Devils then loaded the bases up and senior Christina Legotti (Plainview, N.Y.) knocked an RBI single into right field.
In the bottom half of the fifth, Gavriella Risman-Jones led off the inning for the Ducks by drawing a walk and she came around to score when Spitz hit her second home run of the game.
The Ducks added two more runs in the bottom half of the sixth while Berardi coasted the rest of the way on the mound to capture the 7-1 win.
In game two, the Devils bats were quieted once again as Olivia Gemma threw a complete game shutout for the Ducks.
Audrie Thomas (Belford, N.J.) got the start for the Devils and the Ducks got to her in the second, scoring two runs on a Noelle Mulligan two-RBI double to right center.
The Ducks were back at it in the fifth and they loaded the bases up for Spitz, who reached base on a fielder's choice and due to a costly error by the Devils, Stevens managed to add a run. The very next batter, DeGennaro, singled into right field to bring in the second run of the inning to give the Ducks a 4-0 lead.
The Devils got two runners on in the top half of the sixth when Paige Lillie (Mount Laurel, N.J.) and Kailee Sullivan (Monroe, N.Y.) each notched a pair of singles, but the Ducks effectively worked out of the jam and went on to grab the 4-0 victory.
The Devils will close out their 2015 campaign with a doubleheader matchup with New York University at McManus Field on Wednesday, April 29, at 3 p.m.
