MADISON, N.J. (March 24, 2010) – The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team dropped two games to Farleigh Dickinson University - Florham Wednesday by identical scores of 10-2, with both games being shortened to five innings each. The Ducks (1-9) jumped out to an early lead in the first inning of game one, where they scored two runs, but FDU (5-9) roared back with five runs in the second and never looked back the rest of the afternoon.
In game one, sophomore Krista Sticco led off the game with a single, and back-to-back errors by the Devils combined with a passed ball allowed Sticco and Lauren Hurley to score before an out could be recorded. FDU starter Megan McInaw (Hillsboro, N.J.) settled down after that, allowing only one more Stevens hit the rest of the contest to earn the win.
The Devils would score once in their half of the first inning, before exploding for five runs in the second.
Hurley would notch the other Stevens hit with one out in the top of the third inning, but that was all the offense the Ducks would muster in game one.
Stevens would keep the score at 6-2 from the second until the fifth inning, where FDU scored four runs including a solo blast by Marysa Cole (Washington Twp., N.J.) to bring the game to an early halt by way of the eight-run-rule.
The second game was remarkably similar to the first, with Stevens scoring twice early but FDU rallying to end the game early with the score again at 10-2.
The Ducks spotted FDU three runs in the bottom half of the first, but Stevens starter Molly Herforth stranded thee Devil runners to keep the game within reach after one.
Stevens scored two runs of its own in the top half of the second inning, as freshman Clair Strom got things going for the visitors with a leadoff double. Denise Wagner drove her home with a one-out single, and Wagner scored on a combination of a wild pitch, passed ball and a productive groundout by Brianna Sticco to make the score 3-2 in favor of the Devils.
FDU would score twice in both the second and third innings to rebuild their lead to 7-2.
Hurley and Strom added singles for Stevens in the third and fourth innings, respectively, but the Ducks were otherwise handcuffed by FDU pitcher Karla Babb (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.).
The Devils forced another early end, kick-started by a leadoff homerun from McInaw. Two more runners would come around to score for FDU in the fifth and game two would end with a duplicate 10-2 final score.
Stevens will play its first-ever varsity home games on Friday, March 26 at the Weehawken Riverfront. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 3 p.m.
