RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Martina Gutierrez brought home a pair of runs which gave an early lead to the Fairfield University softball team before California Baptist University erased that advantage in its half of the second inning which sent the home team to an 8-2 win in a rain-shortened game. The two teams managed to play five innings before the field became unplayable.

Neither team was able to mount any offense in the opening inning before the second inning produced runs for both sides. The Stags started the scoring with a pair of runs that were set up by Megan Forbes' leadoff single. The graduate student stole second base to place herself in scoring position before the next two Fairfield hitters were retired. With Forbes on third base, Danica Silvestri worked out a two-out walk and immediately stole second base further the threat. Gutierrez responded with a hard single to left-center field that plated both of her teammates to send the Stags to a 2-0 lead.

The lead was short lived though as the Lancers pieced together six hits and batted around, resulting in seven runs and a 7-2 lead. After the leadoff hitter was retired on a grounder, the next eight batters reached base with five of those student-athletes stroking a base hit. Kayla Lyon provided the key hit in the inning with a bases-clearing double that bounced to the right field fence, pushing the lead to 6-2. She later came home on a base hit before reliever Alyssa Weinberg was able to quell the rally by retiring the final two batters. 

Fairfield did its best to work its way back into the game by earning a base runner in each of the next three innings, registering a walk from Delaney Whieldon in both the third and fifth innings and a base hit from Morgan Sylvestre in the fourth inning. Whieldon reached third base in the third but the neither base runner advanced beyond first base in the other two innings. The Lancers tallied their final run in the fourth inning when Merissa Borkokwski picked up a single, stole second base, and advanced on a fly ball to the outfield. Lyon collected a walk later in the inning and was part of a double steal with Borkokwski that brought the score to 8-2.

Fairfield continues its West Coast swing on Thursday with a pair of games, matching up against the University of Toledo at 4 pm EST before playing host Cal-State Fullerton at 9 pm EST.