Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Kristen Filicia hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Fairfield University softball team to a 4-3 win over third-seeded Canisius College in the opening game of the 2012 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) tournament. The sophomore, who had just one homer all season, drove the ball over the left field fence with one out to give her teammates a dramatic win.

Canisius looked as though it had all the momentum in this game, erasing an early 3-0 deficit by scoring a single run in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. The last of those runs came off a solo home run by Stephanie Pfentner with one out in the seventh, completing the come back.

Fairfield grabbed the lead early like it has all season long, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Sammy Ruffolo started the rally with a one-out single up the middle, which Lauren Liseth followed with a grounder to the left side that was mishandled to put runners on first and second. Rae Ball came up with a big two-out, two-run double down the left field line that chased home Ruffolo and Liseth for a 2-0 lead.

The Stags added a run in the bottom of the second to push their advantage to 3-0 as Liseth drew a bases-loaded walk that forced home Brianna Levick with the third run. Levick pinch ran for pitcher Rebecca Trott, who drew a walk that set up a first and second situation. An infield hit by Ruffolo put runners on all three bases, setting up Liseth's RBI base on balls.

The Golden Griffs put their first run on the board in the top of the fifth inning when Valorie Nappo led off the inning with a home run off Trott. It was only the second hit surrendered by Trott to that point as she tossed three hitless innings before giving up a single in the fourth.

Canisius made it a 3-2 game when a misplayed fly ball turned into a two-base error, which Katie Medina followed with a double to left-center field to chase home Lizzy Gatto. The Griffs tied the score after Trott retired the first batter on a ground out.

Despite the momentum swing, Filicia quickly grabbed it back with her second home run of the season which sent Fairfield to a winners bracket match up with top-seeded Iona College on Friday morning. First pitch is at 11 am. Canisius will play fourth-seeded and host Marist College in a 1 pm game with the loser being eliminated from the tournament. A Fairfield win would send the team to the championship round on Saturday, while a loss would set up a second game on Friday at 3 pm.