COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Fairfield University softball team opened its stay at the Terrapin Invitational with a pair of one-run setbacks to Providence College and Syracuse University. Both games featured seventh-inning rallies, one that enabled the Friars to overcome a deficit and the other that fell one-run short of the Stags tying the game.

In the opener, Fairfield started the game as well as any team could, scoring the game's first six run to take command at 6-0 after four innings. SJ Mull provided the game's first run with an RBI double that brought home Ava Armuth in the second. Delaney Whieldon and Armuth were responsible for driving in a run in the Stags' three-run third inning before Whieldon returned to the batter's box to stroke a two-run single in the fourth frame.

Providence cut into the lead with a three-run fifth inning with Brianna De La Fuente leading the way off her two-run home run. The Stags earned one run back in the bottom of the inning courtesy of an RBI fielder's choice by Mull, bringing the score to 7-3.

The Friars came back in the seventh inning by plating five runs as the first four hitters reached with a hit including a leadoff home run, a pair of singles, and a three-run shot that cleared the left field fence. The team was able to tack on another run with following a double from Emerson Buckley to take its first and only lead of the game.

Danica Silvestri gave a chance to Fairfield when she reached scoring position with a two-out double but the Stags were unable to bring her home.

The Stags followed up with a match up against Syracuse University just 30 minutes later and found themselves behind by a 4-0 count after three innings. Mull picked up Fairfield's first hit of the game with a bunt single in the fifth, and moved into scoring position following Martina Gutierrez's base hit. Both runners scored when Sammie Dougherty's grounder to the right side was mishandled, pulling the Stags with two runs at 4-2

Syracuse picked up a run following a solo home run from Kaylee Eubanks, bringing the score to 5-2. Fairfield nearly came back when the team loaded the bases off a walk, an error, and an infield single. The Stags pulled within two runs after Gutierrez beat out an infield single to keep the bases loaded. A wild pitch was responsible for the team's fourth run, putting runners on second and third with one out. The next two Stags were unable to put the ball into play resulting in the final two outs of the game and sealing Syracuse's 5-4 victory.

Fairfield will return to the diamond on Saturday when the Stags will play host University of Maryland for a 5:30 game.