FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The timing may have been one inning short of a walk-off win but the result was just as dramatic. Trailing by a 3-0 score to Canisius College in the bottom of the sixth, the Fairfield University softball team rallied for four runs to win the first game of today's doubleheader by a 4-3 score. The Stags dropped the second game by a 4-1 count for a split with the Golden Griffs.
The Griffs put together a two-run rally in the third inning while putting just one ball to the outfield, a leadoff single by Sophia Recrosio. An infield single and the ground out that followed placed runners at second and third for Christie McGee-Ross. She stroked an infield hit to second which ended up scoring two runs as the throw across the diamond and the subsequent throw home enabled Canisius to take a 2-0 lead.
The visitors tacked on a run in the fourth inning when Recrosio laced a base hit that scored pinch runner Sam Weber, who substituted for Gianna Fazzolari after her base hit. Despite allowing two base runners in the sixth inning, pitcher
Katie Kudlacik escaped the situation to keep the score at 3-0 going to the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Stags saw their first four batters of the sixth inning reach base, starting with
Madison Robicheau leading off with a walk.
Haley Updegraff picked up an infield single which
Charli Warren followed with a RBI double to put Fairfield on the scoreboard.
Kaitlin Hoffman followed with a three-run homer over the left field fence to give the Stags the lead.
Kudlacik went back to the pitching circle and closed out the inning for the win, her sixth in nine decisions this season. She struck out six, walked one, and scattered eight hits in her complete game victory.
In the second game, the Stags took the early lead with an unearned run in the first inning as Updegraff and Warren started the inning with singles. When Hoffman's fly ball to right field was caught, Updegraff ran to third drawing a throw but it was not in time. On that throw, Warren took off for second and she drew a third from the third baseman which skipped off her foot and allowed Updegraff to score the first run of the game.
Canisius took the lead in the fourth inning by stringing together three hits with two outs, the first of which was a single by Lindsi Dennis. She came home after Recrosio drilled a double to center field, putting herself in scoring position. Emily Ilano completed the rally with a double of her own, chasing Recrosio home with the lead run.
The Griffs added two more runs in the fifth inning, mixing two hits with a Fairfield error to pad their lead to 4-1. Fairfield threatened by loading the bases in the seventh inning but could not find a hit to bring the score any closer.
Fairfield will close out the weekend by hosting Niagara University for a pair of game at Alumni Softball Diamond. The first pitch is scheduled for 11 am.
