FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University softball team will get back to Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play this weekend with a three-game series against Canisius University. The Stags will travel to upstate New York for a single game on Saturday afternoon before finishing up with a doubleheader on Sunday, a change from the original schedule.
The team comes off a midweek match up with the University of New Haven, a 3-2 setback that saw the visiting team rally from a 2-0 deficit in the sixth and seventh innings. Two Fairfield freshmen were responsible for the team's offense against the Chargers, namely
Lauren Osland and
Sarah Bielski. Osland brought home the game's first run with a triple to the right field fence, her team-leading second three-base hit on the season. Bielski doubled the team's lead with an RBI single in the fourth, her 10th run batted in this year. Bielski owns a .333 batting average with 18 hits in 54 at-bats along with 10 runs scored. Osland has enjoyed just as much success with a .438 hitting percentage, posting seven hits in 16 at-bats over her 18 appearances.
Seven different Fairfield players collected a hit in the New Haven game with
Ava Armuth owning two of those base hits. The sophomore paces the offense with her .463 slugging percentage along 20 runs scored. She also represents the team's top threat on the bases, swiping 10 bases in 11 attempts to date. Armuth and
Anna Paravati are equal in the total hits category, both registering 21 through the team's first 25 games. Paravati boasts an impressive .323 batting average along with a team-best 18 RBI through her 25 starts, joining Armuth as the only two Stags to start all 25 games this season.
Peyton Shields made two appearances in the New Haven game, throwing four shutout innings as the starter before returning to get the final two outs of the sixth inning. New Haven took the lead in the top of the seventh with a leadoff home run before Shields retired the next three hitters. She owns a 3-6 overall record with 27 strikeouts in 58.1 inning pitched. Left hander
Alyssa Weinberg is the only Fairfield pitcher to throw more innings, checking into the weekend with 63.2 innings of work. Weinberg has 62 strikeouts in her account which goes along with her 5-7 record and 3.74 ERA.
The Golden Griffs are coming off a pair of non-conference losses to the University of Buffalo on Wednesday, bringing the team's record to 5-16 on the year. The top four hitters combined to register eight hits in 15 at-bats with three runs scored in the second game of that doubleheader. Alyssa Onyeagwa and Bailey Alatorre each posted two hits in addition to scoring and driving in a run for Canisius. Ella Johel leads the team in hitting with a .361 batting average in addition to holding the top spot with five doubles and three home runs. Olivia Manchester and Brooke Bodewes have handled the bulk of the pitching duties with each earning a pair of wins on the season.
Following the three-game set with Canisius, Fairfield will travel to the University of New Haven on Wednesday, April 1 before hosting the University of Maine for a doubleheader on Thursday, Apri. 2.
