LOUDONVILLE, NY – Following two straight days of rainouts, Siena Softball (17-13, 6-0) finally got its chance to open play at home, and made the most of it Monday afternoon. The Saints completed their third straight doubleheader sweep to begin MAAC play, claiming 5-4 and 4-2 victories over conference rival Fairfield (6-18, 0-4) to continue their best start to league play in program history.
 
The Green and Gold have now won eight of their last ten and 11 of their last 14 games overall, and remain as one of only 13 teams nationally who are undefeated in conference play. Monday's games also marked the first Siena Softball home games to ever air on the ESPN Family of Networks, with the softball program becoming the sixth different Siena sport to be produced on ESPN3 or ESPN+ at home since 2019.
 
Siena 5, Fairfield 4
 
Out for vengeance after having their 2021 season ended at the hands of the Stags in the MAAC Quarterfinals last spring, the Saints followed up a Fairfield solo home run on the game's keynote batter with a run of their own coming across on a throwing error in the bottom of the inning. The Stags pulled ahead by three in the top of the third by way of an RBI double and another solo long ball, but the Saints again countered in the bottom of the frame, with junior Emma McLaughlin reaching on a fielding error that allowed sophomore Isabella Pardo to score and put the game at 4-2.
 
Senior Ava Fitzmaurice would complete the comeback for the home team with a two-run homer to left field in the fifth, setting up an exciting walk-off victory in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman Kyleigh Potter singled up the middle to begin the inning, was bunted over to second by McLaughlin, and came in to give Siena the victory on an RBI single up the middle from junior Shannon Bonewit. Pardo went a perfect 4-4 with three runs scored in the win, while freshman Adriana Romano christened her Siena Softball Field debut with a three-strikeout, shutout victory over the final one and one-third innings.
 
Siena 4, Fairfield 2
 
The Saints completed their first doubleheader sweep over their conference counterparts since 2017 by grabbing hold of an early lead they would not relinquish in the nightcap. Junior Antonia Alba and Fitzmaurice got on base for freshman Kyleigh Potter to rocket a ball to left field for her team-leading fifth home run of the season. Alba would grow her squad's lead to four with a single down the left field line in the second inning to plate junior Jocelyn Ulrich.
 
Fairfield had multiple chances to strike, beginning in the third inning with a single up the middle that made it a 4-2 ballgame. The Stags stranded seven runners on-base in the game, including a pair in the fourth, with Romano striking out the side in order in the sixth to help slam the door shut. Alba went 2-3 from the plate offensively to lead the team, while Romano (3-2) picked up her second straight win in three and two-thirds relief innings with four strikeouts.
 
Siena will have a chance to start 4-0 at home for the first time since 2016 when it hosts Colgate at the Siena softball Field on Tuesday, April 12 at 2 & 4 PM. Doubleheader action is set to air on ESPN3.