Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DELAND, Fla. – Head Coach Julie Brzezinski earned her 900^th career victory this afternoon as the Fairfield University softball team opened the 2023 season with a sweep at the Hatters Classic. The Stags opened the day with a 6-4 win against Monmouth University before completing the opening day sweep with a 2-1 decision over host Stetson University.

Fairfield did not trail in either game today starting off the season with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning against Monmouth. Kaitlin Hoffman brought home the first run with a double and came home when Delaney Whieldon collected the RBI single in her first collegiate at-bat. The Stags tacked on three more runs in their next at-bat as they paired up two hits and two walks during the rally. Kasey Sekula had the key hit in the inning, a two-run single that brought up the team's fourth and fifth runs.

Monmouth battled back in the third inning, adding its own three-spot to the line score courtesy of a pair of hits and a walk. Fairfield managed to get one of those runs back in its time at the plate with a two-out rally that featured a double from Megan Forbes and a single by Whieldon. The Hawks came back with two runs by crossing the plate once in the bottom of the inning, stringing together a single, a sacrifice bunt, and another single to bring the score to 6-4.

Samantha Lindsay earned the win by tossing the first four innings, allowing just one earned run among Monmouth's four runs, before yielding to Allie Bridgman. The junior finished up the game with three innings pitched without allowing a hit to earn the save.

In the second game, Fairfield took the lead once again and held on to it for the second time on the day. Stags pitcher Alyssa Weinberg made her collegiate debut this afternoon and made quite an impression. The freshman struck out three in the first inning which was the foundation for her complete game that featured seven strikeouts and no earned runs through seven innings.

Fairfield scored all that Weinberg would need to earn the victory when it plated a pair of runs in the third inning. The first three Stags batters reached base with a single, namely Charli Warren, Haley Updegraff, and Hoffman. After a fielder's choice forced the runner at home, Whieldon lofted a sacrifice fly for the game's first run while Sekula added the second run with an infield single.

Stetson's lone run came in the fifth inning with a single followed by an error that allowed the runner come around the bases to cut the score to 2-1. Weinberg worked her way out of trouble in the seventh inning when she induced a ground ball for the third out, stranding runners at second and third.

Fairfield will continue play in the Hatters Classic on Saturday by playing Monmouth at noon and Stetson at 5 pm. The Stags close out the tournament with a single game against Mercer University on Sunday morning.