FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The Marist softball team (14-17) will be heading to Fairfield, Connecticut this Saturday to compete in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader matchup against Fairfield University (15-19). The first game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Marist Athletics will be hosting a live chat in conjunction with the doubleheader beginning at 12:45 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: On Wednesday, the Red Foxes completed a two game doubleheader sweep of visiting Columbia University. In the first game junior Danielle Koltz hit a walk-off home run to give the Foxes a 5-4 victory.

Marist found themselves in an early 3-0 deficit at the top of the third inning, but fought back in the bottom of the inning to tie the game 3-3 on the strength of a leadoff home run from senior Ashley Corriss.

While Columbia retook the lead in the top of the fifth inning, Marist answered in the bottom of the sixth with a home run by junior Sarah Carmody.

With the final at bat of the game, Koltz stepped up to the plate and hit the first pitch she saw giving the Red Foxes the 5-4 victory.

Freshman Janine Lalli started the game in the circle and went five innings before being relieved by junior Emily Osterhaus. Osterhaus earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief.

In game two, the Lions jumped out to another three run lead in the first three innings. Koltz led off the four-run fourth inning with a base hit to left field. Two batters later, Haley Birnbaum drove in both Koltz and Alyssa Zahka, who reached via an error, with a double down the left field line. The sophomore second baseman crossed home plate two batters later when Carmody hit an RBI single. The fourth and final run of the inning come after Megan Lamoureux drew a four pitch walk.

The team extended its 4-3 lead with a pair of runs in its next offense frame. These two runs came about much quicker as sophomore Aly Klemmer smashed a two-run home run deep over the left-center field fence.

Up 6-3 going into the seventh, the Red Foxes held off a late Columbia charge, that saw the visitors plate two runs. Relief pitcher Paige Lewis retired the final three batters with ground balls to earn the save of the 6-5 game.

In the doubleheader, Marist hit .396 with eight extra base hits and four homeruns. The pitching staff combined for 13 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched.

RECENT HISTORY: The Red Foxes faced Fairfield twice last year, once in a regular season double header and another game in the MAAC tournament. Out of the three games Marist was victorious once.

On May 8, 2011, the Red Foxes split a doubleheader with the then MAAC leading Stags. This double header was important for the Red Foxes with the seeding for the upcoming MAAC tournament on the line. In game one, Emily Osterhaus went toe-to-toe with her fellow MAAC Pitcher of the Year candidate Sarah Minice and led the Red Foxes to a 1-0 win on the strength of a complete game shutout. In game two, 12 scattered hits led the Stags to a 4-1 victory.

The second time Marist played Fairfield was in the MAAC tournament, where Fairfield was the number one seed. The Red Foxes dropped a tightly contested game 3-2. Marist was led by Corriss who registered three hits and an RBI. Osterhaus pitched a complete game in defeat.

SCOUTING FAIRFIELD: The Stags come into Saturday's matchup with an 0-2 mark in MAAC play following a sweep at the hands of Iona last weekend. A young team with just one senior starter, Alli Wigand (.309, 2 hr, 19 rbi), Fairfield has a quartet of dangerous sophomores to watch in Kristen Filicia (.324, 22 r, 19 sb), Lauren Liseth (.257, 2 hr, 21 rbi), Rae Ball (.259, 4 hr, 15 rbi & 3.98 ERA in 82.2 ip) and Rebecca Trott (2.81 ERA, 78 k in 109.2 ip). They are currently 4-5 this season at home.

MILESTONES TO WATCH - In the coming games and weeks, a quartet of Red Foxes will be approaching some career milestones.

Nicole DiVirgilio -

152 Hits (#10 in program history): Currently at 150

515 At-Bats (#10): Currently at 504

Ashley Corriss -

90 Runs (#7 program history): Currently at 83

7 Triples (#6): Currently at 5

Megan Lamoureux -

65 Runs (#10 program history): Currently at 62

12 Home Runs (#9): Currently at 11

Danielle Koltz -

19 Home Runs (#6 program history): Currently at 17