MADISON, NJ – The Wilkes University softball team earned a Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) doubleheader split at Fairleigh Dickinson University – Florham Campus Saturday afternoon at McManus Field. Wilkes lost game one 5-4 before taking game two 4-1.

Wilkes is now 1-3 in MAC Freedom action this season and 10-6 overall. FDU-Florham is now 3-3 in the league and 7-7 overall.

Hope Mullins (Midland, VA/Liberty) (4-1) pitched a strong game two to earn the victory. She went the complete game, allowing just one run and three hits. She struck out four Devils batters with three walks.

Nicole Howell (Tunkhannock, PA/Tunkhannock Area) singled to lead off the top of the third inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. She then scored on a Haylee Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) RBI single. In the top of the fifth Howell led off with a triple and then scored again on a Calaman single to make it 2-0.

Kaylie Capriotti (Levittown, PA/Pennsbury) and Hannah Boyd (Escalon, CA/Escalon) walked in the top of the sixth and then moved to third and second on an Evan Sherrick (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield) sacrifice bunt. Howell then doubled to bring in Capriotti and Boyd to make the score 4-0.

FDU-Florham scored one run on two hits in the bottom of the seventh but Mullins was able to get a flyout to end the game with Wilkes winning its first conference game of the season.

Howell went 3-for-4 with two RBI's and two runs and Calaman was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

In game one, the Devils sprinted out to a lead with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the first inning. Colleen Conway gave FDU-Florham the 4-0 with a leadoff solo home run in the fifth.

Emma Stauffer (Media, PA/Penncrest) put the Colonels on the board with her first career home run to lead off the top of the sixth inning.

The Devils answered with another run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-1 following a double and single.

The Colonels nearly pulled off the comeback in the top of the seventh as they crossed the plate three times. AJ Bryfogle (Easton, PA/Easton Area) led off the inning by reaching on an error. She would then score when Hayden Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) singled and advanced to second on an error. Rachel Pritchard (Wilmington, DE/Concord) then singled, for her 100th career hit (48th with Wilkes), as she moved Calaman to third. Stauffer then drove in Calaman with an RBI single. Nicole O'Rourke (Staten Island, NY/Susan E Wagner) then singled to load the bases. Howell then brought in pinch runner Megan Marshall (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) with a groundout to second to make the score 5-4 but the Devils were able to get the final out to seal the victory.

Pritchard went 3-for-4 to reach the 100-hit milestone and Stauffer was 2-for-3 with two RBI's and a walk.

Rhia Aurand (Avondale, PA/Avon Grove) (2-1) pitched all six innings for the Colonels, allowing five runs on eight hits with two walks and one strikeout.

The Colonels will host Arcadia University in a MAC Freedom doubleheader on Tuesday at the Ralston Athletic Complex with first pitch of game one starting at 4:30 p.m.