BUFFALO, N.Y. – The last three times that Head Coach Julie Brzezinski sent her team out on the diamond, she knew her team was facing elimination from the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament. But the Fairfield University softball team staved off elimination each time and came back to win the tournament title and advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.

                The second-seeded Stags used their bats to win this tournament, averaging eight runs and nearly 11 hits per game.  The team hit that mark right on the button in the first game of the championship round, posting an 8-5 decision by stroking 11 hits. In the championship game, Fairfield surpassed those totals with an 11-5 victory off 19 hits.

                “It's amazing,” Head Coach Julie Brzezinski said after the game, just moments before being doused with the water cooler.  “I've been waiting 18 years for this and with this group, it's just amazing.”

                Fairfield did not have an easy task against a team that was scoring double-digit run totals throughout the tournament, including a 12-8 win over the Stags in a winner's bracket game on Saturday. But the Hawks ran into pitcher Destinee Pallotto, who pitched back-to-back complete game victories to send the Stags to the NCAA tournament.

                “Des (Pallotto) just kept getting better as the day went on,” Brzezinski said. “She found her rhythm and just kept challenging their hitters. “

                The Stags started the day by trailing right off the start as Monmouth posted a run in the top of the first inning. Fairfield battled back and tied when Filcia led off with a single and went to third when Ruffolo's bunt was misplayed, putting runners on the corners. Sam Frungillo grounded to second base to chase home the run.

                Fifth-seeded Monmouth regained the lead with three runs in the top of the second which was sparked by Jill Freese's two-run homer to make it 4-1. But once again, Fairfield came right back to tie the game with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Gianna Kinhofer came in as a pinch hitter and brought home a run on a ground out. Filicia brought home another run off an error before Frungillo tied the game with an infield single.

                The Hawks took the lead for the final time with a single run when Rachel Shotzbarger lined a home run to lead off the inning. The game would remain 5-4 until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Stags bats came to life once again.  Molly Roche tied the game with a line-drive over the left-center field fence, setting the stage for another big inning. Kate Robinson followed with a double and took third on Brianna Levick's bunt single. Filicia poked a pitch up the middle to chase home Robinson with what would be the winning run. Ruffolo gave the team all the cushion it would need with a double to the left-center field gap to bring home the final two runs.

                Pallotto made those runs stand up and earned the victory. Monmouth threatened in the top of the sixth inning by loading the bases but the freshman fanned the final two hitters to end the rally. In the seventh inning, the freshman retired the side in order to end the game.

                The second game was never really in question after the Stags posted six runs in the second inning. Fairfield jumped on starter Sydney Underhill for a run in the top of the first inning as Frungillo wrapped a grounder the right side that scored Filicia, who had reached by being hit by a pitch to start the game.

                The Stags put pressure on the Hawks when they tallied six more runs in the second inning. Roche led off with a base hit and came home when Robinson doubled her home one batter later.  She went to third on a bunt and came home when Filicia drove a single to make it 3-0. Filicia came home when Ruffolo's bunt was thrown away, putting Ruffolo on third base. Tori Reed executed a perfect suicide squeeze play that brought home the next run and made it 5-0. Kristen Ball and Robinson recorded RBI singles to close out the second-inning scoring.

                “The team was focused offensively,” Brzezinski said. “The team was intense and learned from each other's at-bats. They just believed in themselves. One through nine every batter felt like they were going to get a hit.”

                Monmouth put a couple of runs on the board in the bottom of the second inning and rallied a few times in later innings but was always turned away by Pallotto.

                Fairfield will find out its NCAA Tournament opponent on Sunday night when the NCAA selection show airs on ESPNU at 10 pm. Check back for updates on www.fairfieldstags.com.