MADISON, N.J. (April 17, 2019) – The FDU-Florham softball team was topped by Manhattanville College 12-1 and 9-3 Wednesday afternoon.

FDU falls to 12-17, and 5-7 within the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom. Manhattanville improves to 31-2, 11-1 in the conference.

GAME 1: Manhattanville 12, FDU-Florham 1 (Six Innings)
Sophomore Kaleigh Oplinger worked a perfect 1-2-3 first inning, and the Devils threatened in the bottom half of the inning. Junior Tara Morash and senior Courtney Rohde each were hit by a pitch, but a strikeout ended the frame. The Valiants broke the game open, scoring five times on five hits in the second and two runs in the third.

The Devils scored their only run of the first game in the bottom of the third inning. Junior Gabby Young singled through the right side and stole second. Morash put runners on the corners, dropping down a perfect bunt before a double steal attempt allowed Young to score. Oplinger kept the Valiants at bay in the fourth, allowing just one hit in the stanza.

The visitors padded their lead with one tally in the fifth on an RBI triple before the Devils put two runners on in the home half of the inning. Junior Annamarie Santangelo singled to the shortstop before sophomore Taylor Tobey, and Young reached on consecutive fielder's choices. No one was able to score, as a pair of groundouts ended the inning. Manhattanville closed out the scoring with four additional runs in the sixth before the Devils went down in order in the bottom of the inning.

GAME 2: Manhattanville 9, FDU-Florham 3
The Devils surrendered one run in the first and two runs in the third before breaking through with a tally in the bottom of the third. Morash singled to the shortstop with one out before Rohde belted a deep triple to left center to plate the junior Morash. Manhattanville added an unearned tally in the fourth, as a fielding error by the second basemen brought the run home.

An RBI single to left field made the score 6-1 in favor of the Valiants before FDU tacked on two runs in the home half of the fifth. Young led off the inning with a walk before moving up a base a Morash fielder's choice. Sophomore Dani Sames dropped a single into right field which scored Young before Rohde brought in the final run with a run-scoring groundout. Manhattanville capped off the scoring in the sixth, hitting a pair of home runs to account for the last three tallies of the game.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
•    Junior Megan Zaccario pitched four innings over the two games, striking out three.
•    Morash had three hits on the day, including two in the nightcap.
•    Sames went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the second game, while Rohde and sophomore Hunter Ruppel each collected a hit.

UP NEXT
The Devils are back in action on Tuesday, traveling to Mount Saint Mary in Newburgh, N.Y. for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.