FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Today's match up with Monmouth University proved to be the home opener as well as the first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) games of the 2018 campaign, but the results did not go the way that the Fairfield University softball team had hoped. The Stags dropped both ends of today's conference doubleheader as the Hawks came away with a 6-0 and an 8-2 decision to spoil those openers for the home team.

Fairfield's bats, which were so effective to start the week by scoring a combined 17 runs against Seton Hall and Columbia, cooled off against Monmouth as pitcher Amanda Riley held the Stags to just three hits in the earning the shutout. Monmouth scored the game's first run during its first at-bat with Kayla Rosado's single being responsible for sending the run home. Amber Wozniak doubled up the visitors' advantage with an RBI double in the third, The Hawks chased Fairfield starter Destinee Pallotto after the fifth inning as they posted two more runs in that inning to take control of the contest, 4-0. Freshman Lauryn Rhinehart finished the game but yielded two more runs before the game's final out.

The Stags picked up three hits in the opener Mikayla Rubin and Sam Merino picked up two of the hits, batting out of the first two positions in the lineup. Lacey Olaff scratched out the Stags' other hit, a single in the fourth inning.

The bats more lively in the second game but Monmouth's scored eight times, using another late run with four runs over the final three innings to keep Fairfield out of reach. After falling behind 3-0 going into the bottom of the third, Drew Westford posted Fairfield's first run of the afternoon with a lead-off home run over the left field fence that brought the score to 3-1. The Hawks earned that run back in their half of the fourth inning, but the Stags kept pace when pinch runner Alisha Marshall ran home following Lacey Olaff's double play grounder. 

Karisa Hughen tossed the first four innings for Fairfield, surrendering four runs, before yielding to Pallotto who closed out the game by giving up three runs in her three innings of work.

Fairfield plays a pair of non-conference game against in-state foes this week beginning with a game at Yale University on April 4. The Stags finish out the week with an April 5 match up at Central Connecticut before playing conference doubleheaders at Manhattan on Saturday and at Saint Peter's on Sunday.