ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Stags softball team took the field for the final time in Florida, taking on Butler University at the UCF Spring Fling tournament. Fairfield came up a run short in the finale, losing to the Bulldogs by a 4-3 count. Sammy Ruffolo and Lauren Filicia both earned All-Tournament honors for their play in the three-day event.

Butler jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and added another run in the fifth to grab a 3-0 lead. Fairfield broke out the shutout bid in the sixth inning with a single run, but saw the three-run deficit return in the bottom half of the inning. 

The Stags rallied with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning but could not manage to send the tying run home before the final out. Ruffolo, Sam Frungillo, and Molly Roche each had an RBI in the game. Frungillo, Gianna Kinhofer, and Brianna Levick each posted a pair of hits for the Stags. Brandyce Sallee was the only Butler player with a pair of hits as the Bulldogs as Fairfield outhit Butler by a 10-7 count in the game.

The Stags will play for the first time in the Northeast when they travel to Wagner on Wednesday, March 18 for a doubleheader.