Sixth Inning Rally Lifts Fairfield Past Iona in Softball Championship Quarterfinal
MAAC Sports
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Second- seed Fairfield University defeated sixth-seed Iona College 6-2 in the quarterfinal round of the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Softball Championship at Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, New York on the campus of Canisius College.
After two scoreless innings of action, Iona got on the board first in the top of the third with Courtney Miller advancing on a throw to home after an Allison Hand single to left field, giving the Gaels a 1-0 lead. After a quick 1-2-3 bottom of the third, Iona’s leadoff hitter Kristen Turner sent a ball over the left field fence for a solo homerun extending the Iona lead to 2-0.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth, Fairfield would cut its deficit to one point scoring on a Molly Roche sacrifice fly, making it a 2-1 contest heading into the fifth inning. Both Iona (bottom of fifth inning) and Fairfield (top of sixth inning) escaped jams to preserve the 2-1 contest.
In the bottom of the sixth, Fairfield took its first lead of the game after Lauren Filicia hit a two-run single into center field. An RBI single by Sammy Ruffalo would extend the Stags lead to 4-2. The rally would continue for Fairfield with Tori Reed’s two-run homerun extending the lead to 6-2 and completing the Stags five run sixth inning rally.
Fairfield’s Lauren Falkanger (10-10) was awarded the win, retiring nine batters in the quarterfinal. Manhattan’s Jordan Courage (5-12) received the loss after giving up three earned runs and walking seven batters.
Fairfield advances to Friday’s 11:00 a.m. game and will play the winner of top-seed Canisius College against fifth-seed Monmouth University. Iona will take on fourth-seed Siena College later today at 2:00 p.m.