BUFFALO, N.Y. -- It would be hard to improve on the way that the Fairfield University softball team ended the regular season. The Stags swept Canisius College this afternoon to stretch their winning streak to nine games, a run what will send the team into next week's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) as the number two seed, securing that seed based off its 15-5 conference record. This afternoon, Fairfield picked up a 3-0 win in the opener before erasing a 4-1 deficit to post a 5-4 victory over the Golden Griffs.

Courtney Hankins paced the offense with five hits and two home runs today, which raised her season batting average to .402 in her 49 starts. Both of her home runs came in the second game, hitting one in the first inning to give her team a 1-0 lead and another in the sixth inning which tied the game at 4-4. Both of her shots cleared the center field fence, giving the junior seven homers on the season.

After Hankins pushed her team in front in the first inning, Canisius rallied for four runs in the bottom of the first inning by putting together four hits against starter Lauryn Rhinehart. Morgan Altman delivered a two-run homer to plate the team's first two runs of the inning. The Stags chipped away at that lead by scoring two runs in the fourth inning with Makenna DiGuilio sending home the second run with a sacrifice fly and Sam Merino hitting a grounder that chased home another run.

The score remained at 4-3 until Fairfield completed the comeback with two runs in the sixth inning, the first coming off Hankins solo shot. Angelina McGuire followed with a triple to right field, and came home when Kate Robinson cashed in the opportunity with a grounder to the right side of the infield. Rhinehart rode out her first inning woes and kept the Griffs off the scoreboard over the next six innings to earn her eighth win of the season, surrendering eight hits while striking out two batters.

In the opener, pitcher Destinee Pallotto and Karisa Hughen combined for the shutout by allowing just four hits in the game. Both pitchers surrendered a pair of hits in the game with Pallotto tossing the first three innings before Hughen finished out the game with four scoreless innings. Hughen earned the win, her second of the season and first in conference play. 

Hankins starred offensively once again with a strong effort from Sam Merino, both of whom recorded a pair of hits to represent four of the team's seven hits. With the game tied at 0-0, Merino broke the game open with a two-run single that brought home Amanda Ulzheimer and McGuire. The Stags tacked on a run in the sixth inning when DiGuilio ran home off Rachel Sieber's ground out.

Now, the Stags will turn their attention to the postseason as the 2018 MAAC Tournament gears up next Wednesday. Fairfield and top-seeded Monmouth earn a first-round bye and will await play between the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth seeds to find out their opponents on Thursday. The Stags will draw the winner of the game between the third and sixth seeds. The tournament will be hosted by Monmouth University with the pairings being finalized and announced by the conference after today's competition ends.