Game One
Fairfield Stags (18-9, 18-9 MAAC) – 0
Monmouth Hawks (22-7, 22-7 MAAC) – 7
 
Game Two
Fairfield Stags (18-10, 18-10 MAAC) – 3
Monmouth Hawks (23-7, 23-7 MAAC) – 4
 
WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – The Monmouth University softball team clinched its third straight MAAC Regular Season Championship with a sweep of Fairfield on Saturday. The Hawks coasted in the opener, 7-0, before a comeback 4-3 win in game two.   
 
Senior pitcher Alyssa Irons (Rock Creek, OH/Jefferson Area/Hofstra) tossed her third complete game shutout of the season, allowing just five hits and striking out six batters.
 
Monmouth got at least one RBI from six different players in the opener, including freshman Devin Coia (Vineland, NJ/Cumberland County Tech) with two, and junior Lindsey Baron (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney), senior Katie Harrington (Kasson, MN/Kasson-Mantorville), senior Deangie Jimenez (Haverstraw, NY/North Rockland), senior Morgan Maziarz (Royersford, PA/Spring-Ford Area), and sophomore Riley Riendeau (Lincoln, RI/Lincoln) with one each.
 
Sophomore Kylie Gletow (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central Regional) improved to 9-3 this season after her game two win. Gletow pitched six full innings, allowing three earned runs with two strikeouts.
 
After trailing 3-0 in game two, Monmouth scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Maziarz hit an RBI double, Baron reached on an error, and senior Tommi Stowers (Columbus, IN/Columbus North/Western Kentucky) hit the go-ahead two-RBI double.
 
Monmouth improves to 23-7 (23-7 MAAC), and will host Fairfield for a doubleheader for the last day of the regular season.  
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"I was really pleased with our effort today. From start to finish, we were locked in and played well as a team. Alyssa gave us another fantastic start in game one. The defense was solid behind her, and once we started hitting we found ways to push runs in a lot of different ways. In particular, I was happy with our baserunning in that game. In game two, Kylie gave us another good start. Offensively, it took us a second to adjust which is a credit to their pitcher, but when we did, we really focused in on our process. We're going to continue to grow as a team, and we're looking forward to getting out there tomorrow to honor our seniors."  – Monmouth head coach Shannon Salsburg
 
-In game one, neither team got on the board until the bottom of the fourth.
Freshman Julia Thuer and Coia registered back-to-back walks with one out. Jimenez then doubled down the left field line to score Thuer, and Maziarz brought home Coia with a single.
-Later in the inning, Baron hit a sacrifice fly and Harrington hit an RBI infield single.
-The Hawks tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Senior Erika Coreth and Stowers led off the frame with singles, and Thuer walked to load the bases.
-Coia smacked a two-RBI double to right field to make it 6-0.
-Riendeau was later hit by a pitch with the bases still loaded.
 
-In game two, the Stags scored first in the top of the third. An RBI single and RBI double made it 2-0.
-Fairfield extended its lead in the top of the fifth with an RBI ground out.
-In the bottom of the fifth, Jimenez led off with an infield single. Maziarz quickly brought her home with an RBI double to right center.
-After Maziarz advanced to third on a wild pitch, Baron reached on a Fairfield error that would have scored her anyway.
-With two outs, Stowers doubled down the left field line to score Baron and Harrington. The hit put Monmouth ahead 4-3.
-After Gletow shut down the Stags in the top of the sixth, Irons came in for the save.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Irons is now 51-21 in her Monmouth career with a 1.67 ERA. She has 57 complete games and 390 strikeouts.
-Maziarz went 3-for-5 on the day with two RBI and two runs.
-Stowers is now tied for second on the team with 24 RBI.
-Jimenez compiled three hits on the day and scored two runs.  
-Harrington leads the team in batting average at .429 (39-for-91).
-The Hawks lead the MAAC with 23 total wins and a .767 win percentage.  
 
UP NEXT
Monmouth will host Fairfield for a doubleheader tomorrow. First pitch for Senior Day is set for noon.