POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Lauren Filicia recorded a pair of hits, scored a run, and drove home a base runner in a 3-0 win over Siena College, while Kristen Filicia reached base four times and hit a two-run homer in a 3-1 win over Niagara University as the Fairfield University softball team stayed alive in the 2013 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Softball Tournament. The two victories send the Stags to the tournament's championship round on Saturday.

In the opener, the Stags scored a single run in the bottom of the second inning as Lauren Filicia started things off with a single through the right side. She stole second base before the first out was recorded on a strikeout. A few pitches later, she swiped third base, setting up an RBI opportunity for Kimi Kurata. The right fielder put down a safety squeeze bunt that brought home Filicia to give the Stags a 1-0 lead.

In the next inning, shortstop Brianna Levick hit her first home run of the season, a solo shot down the right field line that doubled the Stags advantage at 2-0. Fairfield finished off the scoring in the sixth inning as Lauren Filicia stroked a line-drive single to left center that chased home Liseth with the team's third run.,

Pitcher Rae Ball made those runs stand by scattering four hits to earn her third shutout of the season. The righthander fanned one hitter but did not walk a batter to earn her 14th win of the season.

In the second game, Fairfield got off to a quick start by scoring a run in the top of the first inning. Kristen Filicia led off with a base hit, the first of four times the junior would reach base in the game. She took second on a wild pitch and advanced to third base following Sammy Ruffolo's single. A double steal pushed the game's first run home as Ruffolo took off for second and drew a throw that allowed Kristen Filicia to score the run.

The lead went to 3-0 in the fourth inning despite Fairfield's first two batters being retired on a strikeout and a pop up. Brianna Levick stroked a single to right field, which Kristen Filicia followed with a home run over the center field fence for a pair of RBI.

Niagara broke through against starting pitcher Rebecca Trott in the bottom half of the inning as Amanda Wierth singled and came home on Ambur Farmer's double to right center field.

Trott did not allow another run the rest of the way en route to her 13^th win of the season. The junior went the distance, striking out eight hitters and allowing three hits over her seven innings of work.

Fairfield will face Marist College in the championship round of the tournament but theStags will have to defeat the Red Foxes twice in order to win the double-elimination tournament. The first game is scheduled for noon with a second game being played if necessary approximately 25 minutes after the conclusion of game one.