PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (April 24, 2019) – The FDU-Florham softball team topped St. Joseph's College-Long Island 8-6 in the first game before dropping a 3-0 decision in the nightcap Wednesday afternoon.

With the split, FDU falls to 13-18-1 as the Golden Eagles are now 16-13.

GAME 1: FDU-Florham 8, St. Joseph's-Long Island 6
The Devils fell behind early, surrendering the opening run in the bottom of the first. FDU took the lead for good in the top of the third, scoring three times. With two outs and runners on second and third, sophomore Dani Sames singled through the left side, plating junior Gabby Young. The next batter was classmate Hunter Ruppel, and she lined a double to score both Sames and Taylor Tobey.

The Golden Eagles got a run back in the home half of third, and the two sides traded tallies in the fourth. Sophomore Nicole Casale, freshman Colleen Conway and junior Annamarie Santangelo loaded the bags with consecutive singles before Young singled back up the middle to double the lead at 4-2. The damage was limited, as the next three hitters were retired. The hosts got a run back in the bottom of the inning, notching an unearned tally.

FDU added two runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings, building an 8-3 lead. Ruppel and freshman Dana Giardina reached base to begin the fifth before Casale smacked a two-run double to right field. In the sixth, Tobey led off with a single before Sames was walked. Ruppel singled to load the bases up before Conway dumped a two-run single into right-center to cap off the scoring for FDU.

The Golden Eagles made the game interesting, collecting five hits and scoring three runs with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman Ciara Hoffman was faced with the winning run at the plate and didn't allow the ball out of the infield to end the game. The second out was harmless pop-up to Young before Hoffman closed out the game with a groundout to Sames.

GAME 2: St. Joseph's-Long Island 3, FDU-Florham 0
The Golden Eagles recorded two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead after one. The Devils were able to runners on base in each of the first two stanzas, but couldn't push a run across. The hosts capped off their scoring with an RBI double in the bottom of the second, taking a 3-0 lead.

FDU had a chance in the fourth, as a pitch hit Ruppel and a single by Casale put runners on first and second with just one out. Neither run would score, as a strikeout and fielder's choice closed out the stanza. The Devils loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth, as Sames and rookie Cierra Colon collected singles while Casale walked. Giardina lined a ball to first base, and the fielder stepped on first to complete the unassisted double play. A groundout to third ended the inning without any runs scoring.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
•    The bottom four hitters in the Devils lineup in the opener all recorded two hits, with Ruppel, Conway, and Casale each knocking in two runs.
•    Casale was a perfect 2-for-2 in the nightcap, the lone Devil with multiple knocks in the second contest.
•    Junior Megan Zaccario struck out five in the second game, one off of her season-high.
•     Ruppel recorded her second multi-hit game of the year and registered her fourth extra-base hit of the season.

UP NEXT
The Devils will host Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom foe Wilkes University in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.