FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University softball team closed out its regular-season home schedule with a sweep of Quinnipiac University on Wednesday afternoon, winning both games by 8-4 scores. The two victories extended the Stags winning streak to seven games, the longest string of wins since March of 2019.
At the heart of today's doubleheader sweep were
Lacey Olaff and
Sam Merino, a pair of student-athletes who played the last regular-season home games of their careers. The duo still may get to play additional games on Alumni Softball Diamond as the Stags are in the running for a MAAC postseason series once the conference playoffs begin.
This afternoon, Olaff and Merino combined to score five runs and reach base nine times in the doubleheader. Olaff went three for five with three runs scored, two walks, and two RBI while Merino had a pair of hits, two walks, and two runs scored. Today's finish was just the crescendo of a highly successful home schedule for the two seniors, a run that saw the Stags also win three games in their final at-bat.
"We are hoping to get to play more games in the playoffs but it was in the back of our minds that today was the last regular-season games we would play here," Merino said, "I know we only have so many games left. You work so hard your whole life to be here so I'm just trying to lay it all out on the field so I don't look back with any regrets."
"I think we thought about it being the end but we tried to treat it like every other day," Olaff said. "But we did want to end on a good note so I think I went up there aggressive and it worked out in my favor."
The day certainly did favor the Stags as they scored 16 runs in this doubleheader after posting 18 runs in the twin bill sweep of Saint Peter's last Saturday. Fairfield trailed only once in each game. In the opener, Quinnipiac erased a 2-0 deficit with a three-run third inning in the opening game.
Kasey Sekula's single brought home Fairfield's first run and a second run came home when the hit was misplayed.
After the Bobcats rallied, Fairfield regained control in the bottom half of the inning with five runs off three hits which included a two-run double from
Megan Forbes and an RBI single by
Kaitlin Hoffman. Olaff also chipped in with a base hit later in the inning. One Quinnipiac error also led to a pair of runs which ended up giving the Stags a 7-2 lead after three innings.
Fairfield added one more run to close out its scoring as Olaff worked out a walk and scored on
Drew Westford's double to right-center field.
Allie Bridgman earned the win in relief of
Katie Kudlacik, who lasted two-plus innings before being relieved in with one out in the third inning. Bridgman finished the game with three strike outs while allowing just four hits.
The Bobcats jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning of game two but Fairfield answered with a run in the bottom of the inning off Hoffman's RBI double down the right field line. The Stags took the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning which included a two-run double from Sekula and a two-run single from Olaff.
In the fourth inning, Merino scored the first of three Fairfield runs on the front of end of a double steal that had her cross home plate. Forbes' infield single was responsible for the Stags' seventh run which was followed by a run-producing error by the Bobcats.
Lauryn Rhinehart earned the win by tossing the first five innings, allowing five hits and fanning three hitters to earn her sixth win. Bridgman tossed the final two innings, not allowing any hits or runs and striking out a pair of Quinnipiac hitters.
The Stags finish up the regular season with six road games beginning with a four-game set with first-place Monmouth University this weekend. Next week, Fairfield will stay in state for two games at Quinnipiac University on Wednesday afternoon.
