NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- Senior
Sarah Minice tossed a one-hitter as the Fairfield University softball team opened Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play with a split against Iona College. The Stags won the opener by a 3-0 count, but fell short in the nightcap by a score of 3-1.
Minice was masterful in the first game, fanning nine hitters and allowing only a sixth-inning single to Jodi Petersen with two outs. The right-hander allowed only two other base runners, both of whom reached on walks.
Fairfield scored the game's first run in the third inning when
Kristina Lingo started the rally with a single.
Alli Wigand sent her to second base when drew a one-out walk.
Rae Ball continued the rally with a base hit that loaded the bases.
Mikayla Shumate sent home the run with a fielder's choice. The Stags made the score 2-0 in the next inning with another fielder's choice.
Kristen Filicia reached on an infield hit and promptly stole second base.
Tiffany Lawson's ground out advanced Filicia, who came home when following
Lauren Liseth's grounder.
The final run scored when Lingo's ground out chased Filicia home for a 3-0 advantage. Minice improved to 5-5 with the win while Iona hurler Sarah Jackson fell to 5-4.
In the next game, Fairfield grabbed a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning. Lawson was hit by a pitch with one out in the inning and took second when Liseth's grounder was mishandled. Lingo followed with a single to center which allowed Lawson to come home. Iona tied the game in the bottom of the first courtesy of Deanne Algeo led off the inning with a home run to left field.
Stag pitcher
Rebecca Trott and Gael hurler Alyssa Maiese traded zeros for the next four innings before Iona broke the game open with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Melanie Gettins did the damage with a two-run double with two outs.
Fairfield nearly rallied in the top of the seventh when it loaded the bases with no outs. A line-drive double play and a ground out followed to end the threat as well as the game.
The Stags return to aciton on Sunday afternoon when they head to the University of Rhode Island for a pair of games.
