LOUDONVILLE, NY – Following the conclusion of the 2021 Regular Season, Siena Softball (19-13) is set to take part in the 2021 MAAC Tournament Quarterfinals this weekend. The number five-seeded Saints will travel to Fairfield, Connecticut to face the #4 Stags (20-12) in a best-of-three series at Alumni softball Field, with action taking place on Friday, May 7 at 1 PM & 3 PM, and a third game schedule for Noon on Saturday, May 8 if necessary.
 
All three potential games during the 2021 MAAC Tournament Quarterfinals will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with JJ Duke handing play-by-play. Broadcast links, as well as live stats from each contest are available on SienaSaints.com. Additionally, live Twitter updates from each game will be available by following @SienaSaints on Twitter. In keeping with the spectator policy outlined by the MAAC Council of Presidents, two family members from each student athlete will be allowed at the games.
 
The two-day series will take place as part of four such series' that make up the eight-team tournament for 2021. The four winners in each of the Quarterfinal weekends will advance to the four-team, double elimination championship round May 14-16, with the top remaining seed playing host for the weekend.
 
Making its 12^th MAAC Tournament appearance and its eighth straight as a top-5 seed, Siena will face Fairfield in postseason competition for the seventh time, with the Stags holding a 4-2 advantage in MAAC Tournament play, as well as a 41-23 lead in the all-time series. The Saints picked up their first-ever opening round victory in the tournament over the Stags back on May 8, 2019, with Maddie McMahon leading the team to a 1-0 win. Siena also defeated Fairfield during the 2014 MAAC Tournament, while falling to the Stags in 2017, 2015, 2013, and 2003.
 
After having what was supposed to be the 2021 season-opening weekend series postponed in March, the teams split their four-game regular season affair at Alumni Softball Field on April 7 & 8, with Fairfield taking 4-2 and 5-1 wins in games one and three, and Siena winning identical 7-0 shutout decisions in games two and four. Had the teams ended up both with the same amount of wins following the conclusion of the regular season, Siena would have held the head-to-head tiebreaker by virtue of more wins over the highest-ranked common opponent (Canisius).
 
Siena concluded its 46^th season of regular season play by winning five of its last seven regular season contests, including three of four at Quinnipiac on May 1 & 2, and a doubleheader split at Marist on April 28. The Saints played their final 12 regular season contests on the road, with a season-ending home doubleheader scheduled for May 5 cancelled due to inclement weather. Fairfield enters the postseason having swept the Bobcats in doubleheader action on May 4, after having suffered a four-game series sweep at Monmouth the previous weekend. Prior to the beginning of May, Fairfield embarked on a seven game winnings streak over Marist, Saint Peter's, and Quinnipiac.
 
Offensively, Siena boasted two of the top 10 hitters in the league by batting average during the regular season, with senior left fielder Isabelle DeChiaro ranking fourth in the MAAC at .396, and sophomore third baseman Maritza Diaz in eighth at .384. DeChiaro also ranks tied for third in on-base percentage (.496), fourth in walks drawn (20), tied for fifth in hits (37), and eighth in slugging percentage (.583), while sophomore first baseman Emma McLaughlin is ninth in RBI (25). The Saints have also held a strong pitching regime this year, with relievers Taylor Rhinehart and Nicole Patille tied for the conference lead in saves (4) and graduate student Maddie McMahon leading the team with 57 strikeouts.
 
Fairfield enters the weekend with wins in nine of their final 13 regular season contests, while ranking second in the conference in fielding percentage (.965) and third in team earned run average (2.79). Freshman Evie Wright led the team in batting average at .356, while sophomore Megan Forbes led the way in hits (36), doubles (9), and triples (2). The Stags boast three pitchers with six or more wins on the season, with Allie Bridgeman (6-3) holding a 2.41 ERA, and experienced veterans Katie Kudlacik (7-2) and Lauryn Rhinehart (7-6) providing depth in the circle. Led by 24-year head coach Julie Brezezinski, Fairfield previously took home the MAAC Championship in 2015 & 2017.