MADISON, N.J. (March 30, 2019) – Sophomore Francesca Shipe delivered a walk-off single in game two to lead the FDU-Florham softball team to a win 2-1 over King's after dropping the first game 4-1 Saturday afternoon.
 
The Devils moved to 2-2 in conference play this season while the Monarchs fall to 1-5 in MAC Freedom play.
 
GAME 1: King's 4, FDU-Florham 1
The Devils got on the board early in part to an RBI single to right field by Shipe. The run was set up by a lead-off single by junior Gabby Young, and an error by the Monarchs allowed Young to reach second. A sacrifice bunt by junior Annamarie Santangelo moved Young over to third base which set up the RBI knock for Shipe.
 
Despite scoring early FDU was only able to rattle off two more hits in the game. King's tied the game in the top half of the second and then claimed the lead during a three-run fifth inning.
 
Freshman Ciara Hoffman stuck out three over seven innings of work and falls to 1-2 on her rookie campaign. 
 
GAME 2: FDU-Florham 2, King's 1
Sophomore Kaleigh Oplinger found herself in a pitching duel in the second game. Neither pitcher allowed a hit over the first two innings until Oplinger gave up an infield single in the third inning. The Monarchs were unable to drive the baserunner in, and the teams remained scoreless.
 
The Monarchs were able to drive in the first run of the game in the top of the fourth with a single to right. The tally was unearned due to two Devil errors in the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, the Devils recorded their first hit of the game when Young beat out an infield groundball, but the Devils were unable to tie the game.
 
The Devils were unable to get a runner to second base until the bottom of the seventh. A leadoff single by sophomore Taylor Tobey set the Devils up tying the game in the final frame. The next batter, junior Tara Morash laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner over but an error by the Monarchs third baseball allowed Tobey to score from first and Morash to end up on third base with no outs.
 
The next batter for the Devils hit a screaming liner right at the third basemen which almost resulted in an unassisted double play, but a diving effort by Morash to get back to the bag nullified the attempt. After a pinch-hit strikeout, Shipe found herself at the plate with the winning run on third with two outs. The sophomore delivered on the first pitch with a hard groundball up the middle to walk it off for the Devils.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
•    The walk-off in the second game was the first of Shipe's career and the first walk-off for the Devils this season.
•    Shipe went 3-for-6 on the day with two RBIs.
•    Oplinger earned her second win of the season, striking out four over seven innings not allowing an earned run to score.
•    The Devils last walk-off victory came March 18, 2018 when the Devils topped DeSales 6-5. Ironically, the winning pitcher for the Devils in that game was Oplinger.
 
UP NEXT
The Devils continue conference play tomorrow, traveling to Misericordia tomorrow for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.