STATESBORO, Ga. -- The Fairfield University softball team came up short in a pair of games on the second day at the GATA Classic hosted by Georgia Southern University. The Stags dropped a 9-1 decision against Campbell University in the morning game as well as an 8-6 setback in extra innings against Oakland University.
Anna Paravati drove home four of the Stags seven runs on the afternoon.
In the opener, Campbell scored its runs in bunches, beginning with a three-run fourth inning which broke up a scoreless game. The Camels strung together five straight singles that resulted in the team's three-run rally before the Stags were able to retire the next three hitters to get out of the frame. Campbell broke the game open in the top of the seventh inning with six runs off five hits with Amber DeSena providing a three-run single that capped the big inning.
Fairfield registered two of its four hits in the game as part of the sixth inning when the team tallied its lone run of the game. A walk and a single put runners on first and second with two out before Paravati sent a single to left field to break up the Campbell's shutout bid.
Peyton Shields,
Chela Kovar, and
Emma Marchese combined for the six innings in the pitching circle, scattering nine hits and striking out two hitters.
The Stags nearly pulled off an improbable comeback in the second game, scoring two runs in the sixth inning and three more runs in the seventh inning to erase a 6-1 deficit and send the game into extra innings. Oakland scored in each of the first four innings to build its 6-0 lead before Fairfield put its first run on the board in the bottom of the fourth.
Ava Armuth started the rally by drawing a walk and came home courtesy of
Danica Silvestri's triple.
Fairfield continued its comeback with a pair of runs in the sixth inning as Paravati,
Faith Camilleri, and
Caroline Walls started the inning with base hits to load the bases. A pair of grounders brought home the two runs, the first by Armuth and the second by Silvestri. The Stags completed the comeback with a three-run seventh inning, all scoring following a one-out triple from Paravati that tied the score at 6-6.
Oakland responded with its first runs since the fourth inning, scoring twice following a sacrifice fly and a double that pushed the team in front again by an 8-6 score. Once again, Fairfield tried to rally in its half of the inning picking up a hit but it was not enough to erase the two-run deficit.
The Stags will close out its five-game slate at the GATA Classic on Sunday when they will play Oakland University for the second time. The game is slated for a 9::30 am start.
