Box Score BUFFALO, N.Y. -- With only four outs left in its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) tournament opener, the Fairfield University softball team was facing a difficult road ahead. Trailing 2-1 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the second-seeded Stags rallied for five runs to defeat Iona College by a 6-2 score. Fairfield will play again on Friday at 11 am against an opponent to be determined.
The rally may not have happened if it was not the patience of third baseman Nicole Capra. The junior fought back from a 0-2 count for the second time and eventually worked out a nine-pitch walk to give the Stags hope. Brianna Levick also worked out a walk to put runners on first and second. With Lauren Filicia batting, an illegal pitch advanced the two runners to second and third. Filicia followed with a base hit that brought home the first two runs of the inning and gave Fairfield its first lead of the game at 3-2.
Filicia stole second to set up the next scoring opportunity, of which Sammy Ruffolo took full advantage. The senior sent a base hit up the middle to bring home Filicia and improve Fairfield's lead to 4-2. Tori Reed completed the rally with a two-run homer over the left field fence to bring the score to 6-2.
Lauren Falkanger retired the side in order to record her team-leading 10th win over the season. The junior struck out a season high nine batters, eclipsing her total of eight against Iona last weekend.
Falkanger seemed in control early in the game as well, retiring the first seven hitters before Courtney Miller singled. After another strikeout, Allison Hand delivered an RBI single to give the sixth-seeded Gaels a 1-0 lead. Iona doubled its advantage when Kristen Turner hit a long home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Fairfield put a run on the on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning when Sam Frungillo earned one of her three walks on the afternoon. She yielded to pinch runner Makenna DiGuilio, who would eventually touch home plate courtesy of Molly Roche's sacrifice fly.
