ORLANDO, Fla. – The Fairfield University softball team opened its  appearance in the 2015 University of Central Florida (UCF) softball tournament with a pair of losses, falling to James Madison in the opener and to the host school in the nightcap. JMU posted an 8-2 win in the opener while UCF registered a 10-2 decision in five innings.

                The Stags fell behind early in the first game as James Madison plated three runs in the top of the first inning. After JMU tacked on a run in the top of the third inning, Fairfield rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of that inning. Sammy Ruffolo and Tori Reed each drove home a run in the inning as the pair picked up two of the team's four hits in the inning. James Madison put the game out of reach with four runs in the sixth inning, finishing off the scoring.

                The long ball was responsible for UCF's victory in the Stags' second game. After jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, UCF posted five runs in the third inning, courtesy of a two-run home run and a three-run homer. Fairfield cut into the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth inning as Kristen Ball stroked and RBI single and Brianna Levick added a bases-loaded walk. The home team tacked on a run in the bottom half of the inning and ended the game with a three-run fifth inning that made the final score 10-2.

                Fairfield continues its run in the UCF Spring Fling on Saturday when it plays Illinois-Chicago and Monmouth University.