MONMOUTH JCT., N.J. – Nicole Capra hit her first home run of the season while Lauren Filicia and Brianna Levick each added three hits and scored two runs in the Fairfield University softball team's split with Monmouth University. The Hawks won the opener by an 8-0 score but the Stags responded with a 10-2 victory in the second game.

                The first game was never really in question as Monmouth scored in each of its four at-bats. The Hawks opened the game with a single run in the first inning, using a lead-off walk, a wild pitch, and a single to right field for take the lead. Monmouth broke the game open with five runs in the second inning using four hits and two Fairfield errors to take a 6-0 lead.  Justene Reyes provided the key hit with a three-run double in the middle of the five-run rally.

                Monmouth finished off the game with a single run in the third and fourth innings to set up the 8-0 score. The Stags managed three hits in the game – a third-inning single by Sammy Ruffolo, a fourth-inning base hit from Gianna Kinhofer, and a fifth-inning single from Tori Reed.

                Fairfield took control of game two right from the start, taking a 1-0 lead just three batters into the contest. Filicia singled, stole second, and came home on Reed's base hit to go ahead by a run. The Stags pushed another two runs home in their half of the second inning, a rally started by Angelina McGuire's walk and Capra's double. Filicia followed with a two-run single that made it 3-0 in Fairfield's favor.

The advantage improved to 6-0 with four runs in the second inning. Sam Frungillo's base hit combined with an error was responsible for the first two runs, giving the senior another RBI to her season total. Kate Robinson added a two-run homer to bring home the fourth and fifth runs of the game. Monmouth cut into the lead with two runs in its half of the inning, using three two-out hits to produce the runs.  Rachel Shotzbarger started the offense with a solo home run.

Capra's lead-off home run in the fifth allowed Fairfield to earn one of those runs back. Fairfield closed the scoring with a pair of runs in the seventh inning that closed out the game, the first of which crossed the plate after Ruffolo's double.

Destinee Pallotto earned the victory by going the distance, allowing five hits and striking out seven batters in her complete-game effort.