Stags’ spring success is apparently contagious.
Lost in the stunning success of women’s lacrosse and the national recognition of the women’s tennis team, softball has also emerged as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s (MAAC) preeminent contender.
Head coach Julie Brzezinski and the Stags continued their banner season with a doubleheader sweep of Canisius on Saturday. The Griffs and Niagara, Fairfield’s other weekend opponents, were the only teams in the conference with a winning record.
Fairfield followed the strong effort with a Sunday split with Purple Eagles at Alumni Diamond to conclude a the weekend and improve the team’s conference record to 8-2.
The victory also marked the team’s sixth home win in seven regular-season games.
A season ago, the Stags finished third in the MAAC standings and qualified for the postseason prior. This season, a rookie catcher, a sophomore pitcher and a talented group of upperclassmen are at the core of the team’s drive for even greater end results.
On the mound, sophomore Sarah Minice, a first-team All-MAAC selection a season ago leading the team with 15 wins, is well on her way to adding to her already impressive collegiate stats. Minice has already totaled 15 victories this season, including four shutouts and a team-high 17 complete games.
Minice’s battery mate, freshman catcher Kayla Marth, has followed in suite with an impressive start to her Fairfield career. This past week, Marth slugged her way to her second MAAC Rookie of the Week Honors this season. The Easton, Md. native totaled three runs batted in and led the team in slugging percentage. Furthermore, her work behind the plate aided her pitching staff and helped the Stags to three conference wins and an 8-3 victory over America East conference opponent Stonybrook.
Marth, 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI in that win, had a multi-hit effort in five of the team’s seven games last week.
Another young position player, outfielder Kristina Lingo, seems poised to finish with the team’s highest batting average yet again this season. One season after leading the Stags in hits, Lingo leads the team with a .302 batting average.
As important as Lingo, Marth and Minice have been to the Fairfield’s midseason improvement, the team’s upperclassmen have paced the Stags’ successes.
Junior outfielder Meghan Borst has developed into one of the conference’s top talents. At the moment, Borst ranks among the top five players in the MAAC in virtually every important offensive category, including hits, RBIs, doubles, triples and total bases.
Prior to a weekend doubleheader against conference rival St. Peter’s, the Stags head across town for an afternoon game at Pioneer Park against Sacred Heart.
The Lady Pioneers currently hold a 9-7 record in the Northeast Conference (NEC).
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