Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- For the second straight day, the Fairfield University softball team won a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) tournament game in its last at-bat, this time posting a 2-1 decision over top-seeded Iona College in the 15th inning. The win sends the Stags into the touranment championship on Saturday. Their opponent has yet to be determined.

Kimi Kurata's RBI single in the 15th inning drove home Rae Ball with the game-winning run.

This game was a classic pitcher's dual as both teams rotated their staffs during the game. Fairfield's Rebecca Trott pitched the first three innings before designated player Rae Ball was switched over to the pitching circle in the fourth inning. She did not allow a run over the next two innings before yielding back to Trott.

Iona starter Alyssa Maiese pitched the first five innings and did not allow a base runner, retiring 15 straight Fairfield hitters. Sarah Jackson took over and retired the first three batters she faced to run the streak to 18 hitters in a row for the Gaels pitching staff.

The Gaels broke through in the bottom of the sixth inning against Trott, who returned to the lineup. Freshman Allison Hand did the damage with a solo home run over the left field fence to give the top seed a 1-0 lead. Jackson returned for the circle for the seventh inning and brough her team within an out of a perfect game when she retired the first two hitters of the inning.

Lauren Liseth stepped into the batter's box for Fairfield's final chance and she came through for her teammates with a solo home run over the center field fence to tie the score at 1-1. That run would be the last for more than seven innings as the two teams locked back up into a pitcher's dual. Fairfield put a runner on in the eighth when Nikki Osofosky singled and in the tenth when Alli Wigand walked, but neither student-athlete advanced past second base.

Meanwhile, Trott retired Iona in order for the next four innings before Maiese led off the 12th inning with a single. She took second base on a ground out and went to third on a ground out to the right side. Trott retired the next hitter on a grounder that kept the game at 1-1.

The Stags put a runner on third in the 13th inning as Tiffany Lawson reached first base on a fielder's choice. She took second base following a wild pitch and stole third base to give Fairfield a shot at the go ahead run. But Jackson picked up a strikeout to end the threat and keep the game going.

Fairfield nearly took the lead in the 14th inning, a rally that started with a hit by Sammy Ruffolo. She stole second in front of Liseth. The sophomore catcher laced a hit to right-center field that chased Ruffolo past third and toward home. But an accurate throw home cut down Ruffolo and kept the game tied at 1-1.

Iona put runners on first and second with no outs in the bottom of the inning as Eileen McCann led off with a double and Maiese was intentionally walked to set up the force play. Trott retired the next three hitters on a popped-up sacrifice bunt, a strikeout, and a fly to center field.

The winning rally started in the top of the 15th inning with Ball leading off with a base hit. The sophomore stole second base to put herself in scoring position. Kimi Kurata followed with an RBI double to the right-center field gap to bring Ball in for the team's second run.

Iona put a couple of runners on base in its half of the inning with a single and a fielder's choice. Ball, who took over the pitching duties in the 14th, retired the next two hitters to end the game and send Fairfield to the championship round on Saturday.

The Gaels outhit the Stags overall by a 12 to 8 count, but the Stags held an 8 to 5 edge after the sixth inning. Liseth and Kurata were the only two Stags with two hits, while the Gaels had four hitters with at least two hits in the game.