NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. -- The Fairfield University returned to Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) action with a sweep of Merrimack College, posting wins of 8-2 and 12-0 on Saturday afternoon. The doubleheader opened the road portion of the Stags' conference slate with one more game against Merrimack on the docket for Sunday.

Fairfield took control of the first game early by plating four runs in the second inning, turning three hits and a Merrimack miscue into the quick start. Delaney Whieldon started the inning by reaching first after being hit by a pitch. She was sent to second off a bunt and went to third when SJ Mull garnered a base hit.
Cara Kochakian provided the key hit of the inning, a two-run triple that broke open the scoring. The senior would eventually come around to score when Ava Armuth stroked a single to bring the score to 3-0. Armuth was the fourth base runner to score, taking advantage of an error.

Megan Miller answered the four-run inning with a solo home run that put Merrimack on the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning. Fairfield answered with two runs in the top of the third inning as Mull and Martina Gutierrez each registered an RBI single to push their team's advantage to 6-1. Miller had a hand in the Warriors final run of the game when she drew a bases loaded walk that cut the deficit to 6-2 after three innings.

The Stags closed out the scoring with two more runs, both of which came home courtesy of Anna Paravati's bat. The senior picked up a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning which scored Ava Armuth. Paravati brought home the game's final run with an RBI single in the sixth inning, once again chasing Armuth home.

Alyssa Weinberg earned the win after allowing a pair of runs against six hits and eight strikeouts, improving her record to 4-5 on the season.

In the second game, Fairfield went scoreless in the top of the first but tallied runs in each of the next four innings on its way to a 12-0 five-inning victory. The Stags' first two runs came in the second frame off only one hit as Mull's misplayed grounder led to the first run while Sammie Dougherty's sacrifice fly plated the second run.

In the third inning, Armuth and Quinn McGonigle started things off by reaching on a walk and a hit by pitch respectively. Whieldon picked up three RBI with her home run to center field that sent the score to 5-0.

Fairfield doubled its lead with five more runs in the fourth inning as Paravati, Sarah Bielski, Whieldon, and Danica Silvestri each recorded an RBI in the rally. Paravati added an RBI single in the fifth inning to close out Fairfield's scoring.

Peyton Smith went the distance in the pitching circle, allowing two hits and fanning eight batters to pick up the victory.

The two teams will meet for a third time on Sunday afternoon to close out the series with first pitch slated for 12 pm.