UNION, N.J. – In a pair of non-conference road games against Kean University on Wednesday afternoon, the Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham softball team came out on top 3-2 in the opener, but then fell in the second game of the series 4-0.
Game 1 (FDU-Florham 3, Kean 2)
In the first game of the series, senior Sydney Worek picked up her 10th win of the season as the Devils edged out the Cougars 3-2.
Worek fanned seven batters and only allowed two earned runs in a complete game. The Devils offense tallied eight hits in the win over the Cougars and sophomore Taylor Torre recorded a pair of singles.
As Worek made quick work of the Cougars' lineup in the first two innings, the Devils' bats gave her some run support in the top half of the third. Sophomore Michele Mangini led things off with a single into right-center and she moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Frannie Jarin.
The top of the order was due up next and sophomore Marlena Bevilacqua shot an RBI single into right-center and Magnini came in to score to put the Devils up 1-0.
The Cougars answered immediately though in the bottom half of the inning with a leadoff home run by Kacie Worswick.
In the fifth inning the Cougars took their first lead of the afternoon. It started with a Tiffany Varriello walk and after two outs were recorded in the inning, Olivia Zengel shot an RBI single down the left field line.
Trailing by a single run entering the sixth, senior Nikki Caruso drew a one-out walk for the Devils and following a single up the middle by Torre, there were two runners on. Freshman Courtney Rohde then stepped into the batter's box and she reached on a costly error by a Cougars' infielder, causing the bases to be loaded.
Two batters later, senior Jaclyn Herrington shot a two-RBI single up the middle and the Devils led 3-2.
Worek remained on the mound in the seventh and she quickly worked through the inning without surrendering a single hit and the Devils took the opening game of the series.
Game 2 (Kean 4, FDU-Florham 0)
The Devils (15-11) were held to four hits in the second game of the series as Shannon McMahon pitched a complete game shutout for the Cougars (15-17) in their 4-0 win.
Kean took the lead early in the first inning when Emily Sabo drew a base on balls and later scored on a fielding error by FDU-Florham.
In the third inning, Bevilacqua singled into right-center and she then stole second for her 23rd career stolen base of the season, placing her fifth on the all-time steals list at FDU-Florham.
The Cougars got through the third without allowing a run to cross the plate and in the bottom half of the inning they took a 2-0 lead once Dana Knapp hit an RBI double into left-center.
After plating a pair of runs in the fourth inning, the Cougars lead grew to four.
Despite two runners reaching base safely in the top half of the seventh for FDU-Florham, Kean was able to capture the win in game two.
The Devils will return to action on Saturday, April 23 for a MAC Freedom doubleheader series with Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. with a start time of 1 p.m.
