EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. – Before falling in the second game of a MAC Freedom doubleheader 8-6 on Saturday afternoon, the Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham softball team came out on top in game one, 7-0, behind a dominant pitching performance by senior Sydney Worek.
Game 1 (FDU-Florham 7, Wilkes 0)
To open up the afternoon Worek got the start for the Devils and she was electric, striking out 10 batters in a complete-game shutout for her 11th win of the season.
At the plate, sophomore Marlena Bevilacqua went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, while fellow sophomore Taylor Torre scored a pair of runs.
The Devils offense got things started in the top half of the second when sophomore Rebecca DeCarlo came up and blasted a two-out solo home run over the center field fence.
As Worek made quick work of the Colonels' batters in the second and third by striking out five, the Devils saw their lead expand in the fourth once Torre crossed the plate on a costly fielding error by a Wilkes' infielder.
In the fifth inning, Bevilacqua was hit by a pitch with two outs. After stealing second, she came in to score once Paige Lillie shot an RBI single into center field.
With a three run lead heading into the sixth, the Devils got hot at the plate. Torre reached second base safely on a fielding error and came around to score on the following at-bat by Courtney Rhode, who also got on base due to a fielding error.
After the second out of the inning was recorded, the Devils hit three straight singles and two runs scored to make it a 7-0 game.
In the final two innings, Worek only allowed one baserunner to reach safely and no runs crossed the plate for Wilkes as the Devils took the victory in game one.
Game 2 (Wilkes 8, FDU-Florham 6)
The second game of the series featured a heavy dose of offense as the two teams combined for 25 hits and 14 runs.
Seniors Jaclyn Herrington and Nikki Caruso each went 3-for-4 at the plate. Caruso had three RBIs, while Herrington had one.
Bevilacqua batted 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three stolen bases. DeCarlo also recorded two hits in the game.
The Devils wasted no time getting runs on the board and they erupted in the first inning. After Bevilacqua walked and stole second, she came around to score once Caurso doubled into left. Caruso then scored on the following at-bat when senior Wynne McCann shot an RBI single into center.
After Torre drew a base on balls, Rohde came up with two runners on and loaded the bases with a single to right field. DeCarlo was due up next and she walked with the bases loaded and then Herrington hit an RBI single through the left side to give the Devils an early 4-0 lead.
The lead grew to five in the second inning after Bevilacqua singled to center, stole second and scored on a Caruso RBI single into left.
The Colonels began to chip away into the Devils' lead and after a four-run fifth inning, Wilkes had taken an 8-5 lead.
In the sixth, Bevilacqua recorded her third hit of the game and she then took off for second and made it safely. Lillie singled to the right side of the infield and then Caruso hit a sacrifice fly to right, allowing Bevilacqua to come in to score.
The Devils trailed by two runs in the final inning of play and DeCarlo and Herrington led off with back-to-back singles. However, FDU-Florham was unable to plate another run in the inning and the Colonels grabbed the win in game two of the series.
FDU-Florham will be back on the field on Saturday, April 30 for a MAC Freedom doubleheader series with King's College beginning at 1 p.m. in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
