Fairfield Wins 2015 MAAC Softball Championship
MAAC Sports
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Second-seed Fairfield University defeated fifth-seed Monmouth University to win the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Softball Championship at Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, New York on the campus of Canisius College.
In the first game of the championship round, Fairfield forced a winner take all game with an 8-5, win over Monmouth.
Monmouth got the action going early, getting an RBI single from Rachel Shotzbarger in the top of the first, and giving Monmouth a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the first, Fairfield’s Sam Frungillo scored on an RBI groundout to the second baseman, tying the game at 1-1.
In the top half of the second, Jill Freese crushed a two-run homerun over the left field fence to give the Hawks a 3-1 lead. Ashalynn Umiamaka extended the Monmouth lead to 4-1 with an RBI single and advanced to third base on a throwing error, but Fairfield would only limit the damage to three runs in the inning. In the bottom half of the second frame, Fairfield got its first three batters on, loading the bases with no outs. The next batter, Gianna Kinhofer reached base on a throwing error, getting the RBI and cutting the score to 4-2. Another Monmouth error, would allow Fairfield to score again, making the score 4-3 and keeping the bases loaded with no outs. Monmouth would limit the Stags to just one more run on Frungillo’s RBI single, but the third out of the inning would come with Monmouth cutting down the runner between third and home plate.
Shotzbarger would lead off the top of the third inning with a solo homerun for Monmouth, giving the Hawks the lead again at 5-4.
After not scoring for two innings, Fairfield would get a solo homerun blast over the center field fence from Molly Roche in the bottom of the fifth, equalizing the game at 5-5. An RBI base hit from Lauren Filicia gave the Stags its first lead of the game at 6-5. Fairfield continued its fifth inning rally with a two-run double by Sammy Ruffolo, extending the Stags lead over Monmouth to 8-5.
Fairfield escaped a sixth inning jam, with pitcher Destinee Pallotto retiring the last two batters of the inning with the bases loaded. In the top of the seventh, Fairfield retired the side to earn the 8-5 victory and force a final game in the championship round.
Pallotto (10-8) earned the complete game victory, retiring seven batters in the game, while the loss was given to Monmouth’s Sydney Underhill (7-14).
In the winner take all game, Fairfield scored first in the top of the first, getting an RBI single from Sam Frungillo, making it a 1-0 lead for the Stags.
Fairfield went on a second inning rally, beginning with Kate Robinson when she drove in the second run for Fairfield on a double, to extend the lead to 2-0. Another run would cross the plate on an RBI single by Lauren Filicia. Then a fielder’s choice error, that sent the ball into center field, would lead to another run scored for the Stags, extending the score to 4-0. An RBI sacrifice bunt by Tori Reed and an RBI single from Kristen Ball would continue the rally and make the score 6-0. A bases loaded RBI single by Robinson, would push the lead to 7-0. During the rally, the Stags scored six runs on six hits.
Monmouth answered in the bottom of the second with Vanessa Cardoza’s RBI double and Jill Freese would drive in another run, with a single to center, cutting into the lead at 7-2.
In the top of the fourth, Kristen Ball knocked in another run for Fairfield on a single, making it 8-2.
The top of the sixth would see a single into center field by Robinson and a two base error, allow Fairfield's ninth run. Robinson would then score the tenth run on a wild pitch, giving Fairfield the 10-2 advantage.
Monmouth would need at least one run in the bottom of the sixth to keep its championship hopes alive and that was exactly what the Hawks did scoring on an RBI single from Freese making the score 10-3.
Ball would add one more run for the Stags, extending the lead back to eight points at 11-3.
Monmouth did not go away quietly. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Hawks first three batters reached base on hits, loading the bases with no outs. A two-run double by Rachel Stotzbarger would cut the deficit to 11-5, but Fairfield would surrender no more runs, clinching the 2015 title, 11-5.
Destinee Pallotto (11-8) earned her second complete game win of the day, striking out four batters. Sydney Underhill (7-15) received the loss.
Fairfield’s Lauren Filicia was named the championship Most Outstanding Player. Joining Filicia on the All-Championship team were teammates Nicole Capra, Lauren Falkanger, Destinee Pallotto, and Sammy Ruffolo. Also making the team were Amy Bright and Stephanie Reinhardt from Manhattan, Paige Hess and Paige Lloyd from Siena, and Emma Hill, Ashalynn Umiamaka, and Rachel Shotzbarger from Monmouth.
Fairfield improves to 25-22 overall on the season and earns the league’s automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Softball Championship. The NCAA Division I Softball Selection Show will air on Sunday, May 10, at 10 p.m. on ESPNU.