WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. -- The Fairfield University softball team dropped two games at first-place Monmouth University on Saturday afternoon, the first time this season that the Stags were swept in a doubleheader. Before today, Fairfield had swept five doubleheaders and split eight others against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) opponents this year.

Drew Westford paced the Stags offense with three hits in the twin bill, one of four Fairfield student-athletes to post multiple hits in the pair of games. Kasey Sekula, Kaitlin Hoffman, and Megan Forbes each picked up a pair of hits against Monmouth as the Stags with 11 hits in the doubleheader. Fairfield registered five hits in the opening game but could not string enough together to pick up a run in the contest as the Hawks posted a 7-0 win. Monmouth was able to group some hits which led to it scoring four runs in the fourth inning and three more runs in the fifth inning. 

The Stags fared better in the second game as they were able to get on top of their opponent with a pair of runs in the third inning that broke the scoreless tie. Lacey Olaff opened the inning with a base hit and went to second on a ground out from Alexa Ortman. After a strikeout recorded the second out, Fairfield rallied with two outs beginning with Madison Robicheau's single through the left side of the infield. Forbes followed with a double to the left-center field that brought home Robicheau home for a 2-0 advantage.

Fairfield added a run to the lead in the fifth inning when Sam Merino worked out a leadoff walk to get things underway. Robicheau placed a sacrifice fly down to advance the senior to second base. Forbes sent the lead runner to third base with a single to left field, setting runners on the corner with one out. Hoffman's grounder to the right side allowed Merino to come home with the team's third run.

The lead looked solid until the fifth inning when Monmouth pieced together three hits with a Fairfield error to score four runs which pushed the home team in front by a 4-3 score. The Hawks' rally featured an RBI double and a two-run double with the fourth run coming home on a misplayed grounder to the infield. Alyssa Irons, who was the winning pitcher in the first game, pitched the seventh inning to earn her third save of the game.

Fairfield and Monmouth will return to the diamond on Sunday afternoon for another doubleheader which is scheduled for a 12 pm first pitch. After Sunday's twin bill, the Stags will close out the regular season with a road doubleheader against Quinnipiac University on Wednesday afternoon.