HACKENSACK, N.J. (March 25, 2022) - In their final tune-up before heading into Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference competition, the Saint Peter's University softball team was unable to pick up a victory as they dropped a pair of road games at Fairleigh Dickinson University Thursday, losing game one 6-3 before falling 11-3 in the second contest.
Top Performers
- Junior Olyvia Smith had a huge day at the plate for the Peacocks going 4 for 7 with a pair of multi-hit games. She was the lone SPU student-athlete with multiple hits in both games.
- Fellow junior Cara McNulty continued her hot streak at the plate in game one going 2 for 3 while hitting her third home run of the season.
- Freshman Kasidy Slusser also was strong at the plate for SPU as she tallied a pair of hits in the first game of the day and hit her second collegiate big fly in game two.
- Junior Brandi Feeney recorded her first multi-hit game of the season in the second contest of the day going 2 for 3.
- Senior Katie Sciglimpaglia pushed her hitting streak to four straight games by producing a single hit in both games on the day.
How it Happened (Game One)
- After FDU took the early lead on an RBI single in the bottom of the first, the Peacocks answered with a three-spot to take the lead in the third.
- Kourtney Ketcham reached safely on an error to lead off the inning and quickly moved to second on a single by Smith and swiped third to put a pair in scoring position with nobody out.
- Sciglimpaglia was next and lifted a fly ball into foul territory that was just deep enough to bring home Ketcham and tie things up at 1-1.
- With Smith now at third and one away, McNulty delivered again as she has all season with a two-run bomb over the wall in left to put the Peacocks up 3-1.
- The Knights responded, however, with a pair of runs to tie things up on back-to-back homers in the bottom of the third.
- The score remained 3-3 until the fifth when FDU re-took the lead for good thanks to a solo home run, an RBI double and an RBI single for a three-run inning to lead 6-3.
- The Peacocks threatened in the seventh, advancing Aubrey Ketcham to third after being hit by a pitch, but could not bring her home as they fell 6-3.
How it Happened (Game Two)
- SPU struck first in the second game when Smith led the game off with a single, moved to second on a single by Sciglimpaglia and came home on a FDU error.
- Once again, the Knights had an answer with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer over the wall in center field.
- With the score still 2-1 in favor of FDU in the third, the Knights broke the game open with a five-run inning highlighted by a two-RBI double and back-to-back RBI singles to make the score 7-1.
- Slusser got a run back for the Peacocks in the fourth when she ripped a solo shot down the line to bring SPU within five.
- After another round of back-to-back homers gave FDU a 9-2 lead, SPU scored for their final time in the doubleheader in the top of the sixth when Courtney Fraher brought home Feeney on an error to make the score 9-3.
- The Knights would end things in a run-rule in the bottom of the sixth thanks to an RBI double and RBI single to push the final score to 11-3.
Inside the Numbers
- With her four hits today, Smith is now hitting a team-best .382 and has hit safely in 22 of the 26 games she has appeared in this season.
- McNulty's multi-hit game in the first contest of the day was her third in the last six games as she improved her team-high OPS to .945.
- As a team, the Peacocks have now hit nine homers this season to top their total from the entirety of the 2021 and 2020 seasons.
- SPU will head into MAAC play Saturday with 11 wins, the most victories since recording 12 non-conference victories in the 2006 season.
Next Up
- Conference play kicks off Saturday at home in the friendly confines of Jaroschak Field against Siena with a doubleheader at 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm.
- The Peacocks are 26-30 all-time against the Saints heading into the contest.
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