GREENVILLE, N.C. -- The Fairfield University softball team dropped its final game of the Pirate Clash today, falling to Marshall University by an 11-2 count in five innings. The Stags recorded four hits in the game with two of those coming off the bat of Charli Warren.

Fairfield fell behind in the first inning when Marshall tallied four runs in its half of the frame. The Thundering Herd used two walks and two hits to account for their runs with a three-run home run from Bub Feringa. The Stags cut into that lead with a pair of runs in their first at-bat, a rally that started with a leadoff single from Charli Warren. She advanced to second on a passed ball but had an easy trot home following Alie Bridgman's two-run homer.

Marshall tacked on seven runs in the top of the fourth inning to push the lead to 11-2 but didn't need any extra base hits to plate the runs. The Herd pieced together six singles in the inning and took advantage of one Fairfield error to bring home all the runs. The team sliced four RBI singles, one two-run single, and a sacrifice fly to record the runs. Six consecutive Marshall hitters reached base off four hits, a walk, and an error to set up the rally.

The Stags created opportunities to pick up runs by placing at least one runner on the paths in each of the first four innings. Fairfield gained a base runner in the second inning when Darby Weller with an infield single. Warren picked up her second hit in the third inning but was stranded without crossing the plate. In the fourth inning, Cara Kochakian and Weller tried to rally the team by working out walks but once again the Stags failed to bring home a runner.

Fairfield will have a week off before returning to the diamond from February 1-3 at the University of Delaware Invitational, playing Bucknell and host Delaware as well as one game versus Maine. A couple of days later, the Stags will head west to play a tournament co-hosted by Long Beach State and Cal St.-Fullerton between March 6-9.