No. 5 Monmouth University Faces No. 6 Fairfield University in 2017 MAAC Softball Championship Final
MAAC Sports
2017 MAAC Softball Championship Final:
- No. 5 Monmouth University faces No. 6 Fairfield University live on ESPN3. The Championship Final was rescheduled for Sunday, May 14 at 11:00 a.m. due to inclement weather conditions.
- The Hawks play in their third-straight MAAC Championship game and second as the No. 5 seed. Monmouth advanced to the 2016 MAAC Championship game as the No. 5 seed and faced No. 2 Fairfield. The Hawks have never won a MAAC Softball Championship since they entered the conference in 2013-14.
- The Stags play in their first MAAC Championship since 2015 when they defeated No. 5 Monmouth as the No. 2 seed. Fairfield has claimed two MAAC Softball Championships in its history (2015 & 1991).
- Monmouth is (3-1) through four games in the MAAC Championship, with wins over No. 4 Manhattan College, No. 1 Iona College, and No. 3 Marist College. The Hawks suffered their only loss to the Stags on Friday, which dropped them into the losers' bracket.
- Fairfield is (3-0) in three games in the MAAC Championship. The Stags defeated No. 3 Marist, No. 2 Siena College, and No. 5 Monmouth en route to the Championship final berth.
Monmouth & Fairfield 2017 Series History:
- The teams have met three times prior to Sunday's Championship final. Fairfield is (2-1) in the three games (1-1 regular season, 1-0 MAAC Championship).
- The Stags defeated the Hawks, 4-0, to advance to the 2017 MAAC Championship round behind a complete game two-hit shutout from junior Destinee Pallotto. The junior allowed both hits to Hawks' senior infielder Justene Reyes. The rest of Monmouth's lineup went 0-20 against Pallotto. At one point she retired 17 batters in a row and set down 19-of-the-last-20 to finish the game.
- Monmouth and Fairfield split a doubleheader on April 14 in West Long Branch, NJ. The Stags took game one, 1-0, in 13 innings. Pallotto earned the win, she tossed 12.0 innings and struck out nine. Junior Amanda Riley went the distance for Monmouth and recorded 16 strikeouts, the most in a game by a pitcher in MAAC this season.
- The Hawks defeated the Stags, 5-1, in game two. Senior Sydney Underhill earned the win in a complete game effort. She allowed one run, unearned, and struck out six. Junior catcher Alex Holzman went 1-3 with a home run and four RBI. Holzman slugged a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Championship Rematch:
- Fairfield defeated Monmouth in two games during the 2015 Championship round to claim the second MAAC Softball title in program history. The Stags had to win two games as they advanced to the Championship round via the losers' bracket.
- No. 2 Fairfield defeated No. 5 Monmouth, 8-5, in the first game of the Championship round. The Stags claimed the deciding game, 11-5, to earn their first championship in 24 years.
Dominance in the Circle:
- Fairfield's Destinee Pallotto has compiled a (3-0) record with a 1.05 ERA (three earned runs/20.0 innings pitched) and has struck out 15 batters in three starts during the Championship.
- Through four starts in the MAAC Softball Championship, Monmouth's Amanda Riley is (3-1) with a 0.93 ERA (four earned runs/30.0 innings pitched). She has surrendered 15 hits, struck out 31, and walked 13. The junior finished all four of her starts, including a 9.0 inning performance against No. 1 Iona College in the second round of play.
All-Time MAAC Softball Championship History:
- Since the MAAC went to a six-team Championship format in 2014, the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds has never won a MAAC Softball Championship.
- The only No. 5 seed to play in the MAAC Championship was Monmouth in 2015.
- Manhattan was the only No. 6 seed to advance to the MAAC Championship round in 2014. The Jaspers were defeated in two games by No. 3 Iona.
- Fairfield is making its 11th Championship round appearance, while Monmouth is making its third.
|
Year
|
Champion
|
Runner-Up
|
MVP
|
|
2016
|
Marist
|
Monmouth
|
Jayne Oberdorf, Marist
|
|
2015
|
Fairfield
|
Monmouth
|
Lauren Filicia, Fairfield
|
|
2014
|
Iona
|
Manhattan
|
Carly Argyle, Iona
|
|
2013
|
Marist
|
Fairfield
|
Emily Osterhaus, Marist
|
|
2012
|
Iona
|
Fairfield
|
Alyssa Maiese, Iona
|
|
2011
|
Iona
|
Fairfield
|
Sarah Jackson, Iona
|
|
2010
|
Iona
|
Canisius
|
Sarah Jackson, Iona
|
|
2009
|
Canisius
|
Niagara
|
Cameron Norton, Canisius
|
|
2008
|
Canisius
|
Marist
|
Katie Miranto, Canisius
|
|
2007
|
Canisius
|
Marist
|
Courtney Piar, Canisius
|
|
2006
|
Marist
|
Fairfield
|
Chrystine McHugh, Marist
|
|
2005
|
Canisius
|
Iona
|
Andrea Bunten, Canisius
|
|
2004
|
Canisius
|
Rider
|
Andrea Bunten, Canisius
|
|
2003
|
Rider
|
Saint Peter's
|
Heather Beintema, Rider
|
|
2002
|
Canisius
|
Fairfield
|
Veronica Maher, Canisius
|
|
2001
|
Saint Peter's
|
Marist
|
Aimee Barsalona, Saint Peter's
|
|
2000
|
Canisius
|
Saint Peter's
|
Veronica Maher, Canisius
|
|
1999
|
Manhattan
|
Canisius
|
Heather Marshak, Manhattan
|
|
1998
|
Niagara
|
Canisius
|
Angela Townsend, Niagara
|
|
1997
|
Canisius
|
Fairfield
|
Kristina Chavez, Canisius
|
|
1996
|
Canisius
|
Niagara
|
Jody Tassone, Canisius
|
|
1995
|
Canisius
|
Manhattan
|
Kristin Spak, Canisius
|
|
1994
|
Canisius
|
Fairfield
|
Michelle Corrigan, Canisius
|
|
1993
|
Canisius
|
Iona
|
Michelle Corrigan, Canisius
|
|
1992
|
La Salle*
|
Canisius
|
Andrea Huck, La Salle
|
|
1991
|
Fairfield
|
Canisius
|
Kim Zagajeski, Fairfield
|
|
1990
|
La Salle*
|
Army*
|
Andrea Huck, La Salle
|
|
1989
|
La Salle*
|
Fairfield
|
Kin Zagajeski, Fairfield
|
|
1988
|
Army*
|
La Salle*
|
Colleen McCabe, Army
|
|
1987
|
La Salle*
|
|
|
|
1986
|
Army*
|
Holy Cross*
|
Andee Hidalgo, Army
|
|
1985
|
Iona
|
|
|
|
1984
|
Iona
|
|
|
MAAC Softball Championships by School
|
Canisius
|
12
|
|
Iona
|
6
|
|
La Salle*
|
4
|
|
Army*
|
2
|
|
Marist
|
3
|
|
Fairfield
|
2
|
|
Manhattan
|
1
|
|
Niagara
|
1
|
|
Rider
|
1
|
|
Saint Peter's
|
1
|
* Not currently a member of the MAAC
MAAC.TV/ESPN3:
- The entire 2017 MAAC Softball Championship has been streamed live on MAAC.TV and ESPN3.
About the 2017 MAAC Softball Championship:
- The 2017 MAAC Softball Championship takes place at the Donald E. Walsh Field on the Campus of Iona College from May 10-14.
- The Championship is a double elimination style tournament. If the team coming out of the loser's bracket defeats the team in the winners' bracket, the if necessary game is slated to begin approximately 20 minutes after the completion of the previous game.
- The winner of the 2017 MAAC Softball Championship earns the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Championship. The NCAA Softball Selection Show is on Sunday, May 14 on ESPN2 at 10:00 p.m.
- For all information on the 2017 MAAC Softball Championship, visit maacsports.com/softball and be sure to follow the action on social media by using #MAACSoftball.
- Tickets can be purchased for the 2017 MAAC Softball Championship by visiting maac.ticketleap.com.