FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Sarah Minice picked up a pair of wins while Alli Wigand posted three RBI as the softball team swept Canisius College to record their 20th win of the season and improve to 5-1 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play.

The Stags jumped out to early leads by scoring in the first inning of both games. The Golden Griffs were not able to bounce back in the first game, but did tie the score in game two. Fairfield regained the lead in the fifth inning, after which Rebecca Trott tossed the final two innings to earn her first save.

In the opener, Kristen Filicia reached first base when she was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the first inning. Mikayla Shumate lofted a base hit down the left field line to put runners on first and second. Lauren Liseth loaded the bases with a walk, setting up an RBI single by Kristina Lingo. Shumate was thrown out at the plate trying to score the second run, putting runners at first and second. Liseth and Lingo stole a base to put runners on second and third, setting up the next run when Rae Ball's fielder's choice made the score 2-0.

After striking out the first two hitters in the second inning, Minice yielded a base hit to Stephanie Pfentner for the team's first hit. It would be the last hit by the Golden Griffs until they put together a pair of singles in the top of the seventh inning.

Fairfield pushed the score to 3-0 with a run in the third as Wigand pushed a single up the middle that scored Shumate, who reached base with an infield single. Canisius nearly broke through in the fourth inning when Lizzy Gatto drew a walk, stole second, and reached third on a wild pitch. Minice registered a strike out, induced a ground out, and fanned the next hitter to get out of the jam.

Canisius put together a serious threat in the top of the seventh despite the first two hitters recording an out. Lauryn Chris started the rally with a single to center field, which Lauren Hope followed with a single to put runners on first and second. Lauren Falzone ended the game with a fly ball to left field, completing the three-hit shutout by Minice. The pitcher fanned a season-high 11 hitters in recording her ninth win of the season.

In the second game, Canisius picked up an unearned run for its first lead of the game as Paige Freiberger came home after a throw to second on a steal attempt split the middle infielders tor a 1-0 lead. Fairfield quickly erased that deficit when Shumate dropped a single to center field and Liseth hit a two-run homer over the left field fence for a 2-1 lead.

Canisius tied the game in the top of the fourth with a two-base hit from Emily Helbig and an RBI double from Val Nappo. The tie lasted until the bottom of the fifth inning when Wigand sent a two-out single to center field, scoring Liseth and Shumate.

The Griffs cut into the lead with a run in the sixth inning after Freiberger led off with a double. Trott entered the game in relief of Minice, and surrendered an RBI single to Helbig, making the score 4-3. The freshman pitcher picked up the final two outs of the inning, and survived a walk and an error in the top of the seventh to record her first collegiate save.

Fairfield will come back on Sunday afternoon for a doubleheader at Boston University with the first pitch coming at 1 pm.