FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University softball team resumes Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play this weekend by hosting Manhattan College for a doubleheader on Saturday while Quinnipiac University comes to Alumni Softball Field for two games on Sunday. Both events are scheduled for a noon start.

Fairfield will play its first MAAC home games of the season this weekend, the first of eight straight conference games being played at Alumni Softball Field over the next nine days. The Stags MAAC home stand will also include Canisius on April 13, and Niagara on April 14.

The Stags won two non-conference games earlier this week, edging Rhode Island by a 5-4 score and Sacred Heart by a 5-2 count on the road. The victories improved Fairfield's record to 14-12 and its non-conference mark to 14-10. Amanda Ulzheimer had a team-best four hits in the two contests while Cynthia Meringer added three base hits. Ulzheimer owns a .389 batting average this season, best among starters while Mikayla Rubin sports a .373 hitting percentage. Rubin hit her second home run of the season against Sacred Heart, a three-run shot that put the Stags in front for good in the 6th inning.

Lacey Olaff earned her second save of the season against Rhode Island and picked up her first collegiate win in relief at Sacred Heart. She has worked 15.1 innings in her nine relief appearances and has posted a 1.37 ERA in those outings. Katie Kudlacik earned her seventh win in the Sacred Heart and owns a 3.50 earned average in her 14 appearances. Karisa Hughen and Lauryn Rhinehart both have three victories to their credit this season.

Manhattan brings an 11-16 record and a 0-2 MAAC mark into Saturday's doubleheader, coming off three home games which included a sweep of Morgan State.  The two wins were highlighted by Lauren Pitney's two-run homer in the opening game which also helped her record her 100th career RBI. The Jaspers also dropped a decision to Columbia during the home stand which represented the team's first home loss in five decisions this year.

Pitney is the team leader or co-leader in several hitting categories, including a team-best .403 batting average. Her 22 runs scored are best on the team as are her six home runs. She is tied with Annie Moore for the top spot in RBI with 22 each. Moore is next in line with her .394 hitting percentage which is best among freshmen in the MAAC. Moore has 11 extra base hits to her credit with nine doubles and two home runs, one of four Jaspers with multiple homers this year.

Jessie Rising (4-5), Stephanie Kristo (4-3), and Kayla McDermott (3-8) comprise the team's pitching staff. McDermott has a team-best 44 strikeouts in a team-high 75 innings of work. 

Quinnipiac plays its second straight road doubleheader of the weekend when it travels to Fairfield University on Sunday, a day after playing a pair of games at Monmouth. The Bobcats enter the weekend tied with the Hawks for the top spot in the MAAC standings with both Quinnipiac and Monmouth owning unblemished 4-0 conference records.

Kayla Jensen started the weekend with the team's top batting average, registering a .398 mark through her 29 games played. Her seven extra bases hits include six doubles and a home run, helping her collect 10 RBI to date. Rachel Marchuk is also hitting above the .300 mark, checking into the weekend with a .329 hitting percentage as well as with six doubles and a home run.

Lauren King has seen the most work in terms of appearance with 22 games so far, recording a 6-3 record and a 3.68 ERA. Both of those statistics are tops among the pitching staff although Kendall Brundett has received more innings in the pitching circle than any of her teammates, tossing more than 25 innings than King. Brundett's extra time in the circle has yielded a team-best 51 strikeouts.