The Fairfield softball team finished the weekend with three wins and one loss in back-to-back doubleheaders against Rider and Georgetown.
The Stags now stand in fifth place out of the nine teams in the MAAC, with a 4-6 conference record and an overall record of 14-21.
“We really need to sweep somebody for a chance in the MAAC,” said head coach Julie Brzezinski.
Hitting coach Stephanie Hill agreed.
“We need to sweep someone in the next few games. If you play well getting into the tournament, you’ll play well once you’re there,” she said.
The Stags came into the weekend on a positive note after two 3-2 victories against Columbia.
On Saturday against Rider, the Stags scored six runs in the second inning alone. Kristen D’Alessandro ’08 and Kristie Trifiolis ’10 both had RBI doubles.
Fairfield allowed just two hits in the game, as senior Cagney Ringnalda and freshman Jen Gilbert combined to pitch five scoreless innings, leading to the 10-0 shutout.
However, the second game did not come as easily.
The Stags were up 3-1 until the combination of a series of singles along with fielding errors allowed Rider to score three more runs and finish the game at 4-3.
“You have to give credit to Rider,” Brzezinski said.
She identified a lack of offensive adjustments as the cause of Fairfield’s fall, as well as the fact that Rider “was playing for a split.”
The Broncs played their number two pitcher for the first game and their number one pitcher for the second.
“One bad inning is all it took,” said Brzezinski.
On Sunday, the Stags pulled out all the stops against Georgetown.
Despite a slow start, the team managed to step up in the bottom of the seventh in the first game. Kristie Trifiolis ’08 and Erin Frank ’08 brought in two runs in the late innings to bring Fairfield to a one run lead and secured the victory.
Still on a high from the first game, Julia Jacoby ’08 slammed a triple to start the Stags off in the second half of the doubleheader.
Jessica Stand ’10 kicked off the fourth with a double, followed later by Jacoby, who smashed a home run, bringing the game to its final score of 5-0.
“I was really happy with what went on today,” said Hill.
“If you can score first in the second game, you’re almost guaranteed the win.”
Gilbert was impressive once again, pitching her first complete game as a member of the Stags. Gilbert allowed just four hits and struck out six batters.
She was named the MAAC Rookie of the Week for her efforts. Gilbert appeared in four games last week, posting a 2-0 record and allowed just two earned runs in 16 innings pitched.
Brzezinski was happy with the weekend overall, identifying powerful team chemistry as the reason for Fairfield’s success.
The Stags faced Siena on Tuesday in a doubleheader in Albany and lost both games.
In the first game, Fairfield scored a run in the seventh to make it 4-2 and had runners on first and third,but Trifolis flied out to right field to end the game.
In the second game the Stags lost 11-10, battling back from a 11-1 deficit by scoring nine runs in the final two innings, led by Trifolis’ four RBI.
Fairfield now heads into a difficult series against St. Peter’s this weekend at home in Fairfield, the third place team in the MAAC.
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