WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – With two strikes in what could have been her last collegiate at-bat, Angelina McGuire stepped out of the batter's box and took a moment to collect herself. The Fairfield University softball team was also one strike away from being eliminated from the 2018 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament.

                The Stags, which lost to top-seeded Monmouth University by a 3-2 score in 14 innings earlier in the day, needed to win this game in order to remain alive. So it fell on McGuire to make it happen. The senior ripped a line drive down the left field line to score classmate Rachel Sieber with the tying run and freshman Mikayla Rubin with the game-winning run as Fairfield edged Marist College, 6-5.

                "It's my senior year so I am just trying to have fun and leave everything on the field," McGuire said after the game. "All year, I wanted to make every at-bat effective and a good one. I think I made that happen today."

                The win was even more satisfying because Fairfield erased a 5-1 deficit after two innings. Pitcher Karisa Hughen was charged with only two earned runs though as a pair of miscues helped fuel Marist's four-run second inning. The shaky inning did not seem to faze the junior right hander because she battled through the rest of the game, putting five consecutive scoreless innings to keep her teammates in the game.

                "After that inning, she (Hughen) brought everything together and kept throwing strikes and kept the ball low," Head Coach Julie Brzezinski said. "We also made some great defensive plays to back her especially Sam's (Merino) catch that save a couple of runs. And that allowed us to chip away at the lead."

                The "chip" came in the fourth inning when the Stags took their first step toward the comeback bid by scoring a pair of runs. Makenna DiGuilio brought home the first run with a single to right field, chasing home Kate Robinson to make the score 5-2. Lacey Olaff's fielder's choice provided the second run as the Red Foxes picked up a force at second base but threw the ball away when they tried to complete a double play. That errant toss allowed Merino to score the team's third run.

                In their next at-bat, the Stags came within a run after Courtney Hankins' double-play grounder netted two outs but allowed Mikayla Rubin to touch home plate to bring the score to 5-4. Fairfield went in order with three ground outs in the sixth inning, forcing the team to postpone its heroics for a more dramatic seventh inning rally.

                Hughen posted her fifth scoreless in the top of the seventh, although it was not all that easy. Marist loaded the bases with two outs when Kourtney Paul laced a line drive down the left field line. Merino made a diving effort to collect the ball and made the acrobatic catch to end the threat.

                 The Stags came to the plate to try and save their season in the bottom of the inning. Sieber and Rubin drew walks to start the inning, putting the tying run in scoring position. Alysha Marshall perfectly placed a bunt to advance the runners to second and third, bringing up Hankins, who provided the game-winning runs in a 3-1 win over Marist yesterday.

                Hankins was intentionally walked to load the bases and put the team's fate in the hands of McGuire. The senior delivered with a line drive down the line which easily scored Sieber and Rubin.

                Fairfield was placed in the position of playing this game based on its thrilling 3-2 14-inning loss earlier in the day. Monmouth and Fairfield locked in what proved to be a classic game. The Stags took the lead on two occasions in this game but the Hawks managed to tie the contest both times.

                In the top of the second inning, Merino led off with a double to left-center field. She stole third base and came home when the catcher's throw to the base eluded her teammate and allowed Merino to collect herself and score the game's first run.

                Monmouth tied the score with a pair of hits in the third inning, using a leadoff triple and an ensuing single to make it a 1-1 game. The game would remain that way until the seventh inning when Fairfield regained the lead in its half of the frame. Rubin's RBI single brought home Lauryn Rhinehart with the team's second run.

                The lead was short lived as Monmouth managed a run in its half of the inning with a two-out RBI single that sent the game into extra innings. Extra innings is putting it mildly as the two teams would not score a run for six innings, keeping the score at 2-2 after 13 innings. It wasn't until the bottom of the 14^th that this game was decided when Alex Holzman hit a leadoff home run that decided the game at 3-2.

                Fairfield pitcher Rhinehart went the distance and fanned 10 batters while her counterpart Amanda Riley struck out 17 batters to earn the win.

                Fairfield and Monmouth will face each other once again for the championship on Saturday with first pitch slated for 11 am. Fairfield will need to beat Monmouth twice in order to win the double-elimination tournament title.