FAIRFIELD, Conn.- For the third straight year, the Marist softball team is in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship. The Red Foxes beat Niagara 6-0 and Fairfield 6-1 on Saturday afternoon to take the losers bracket and advance to the MAAC Championship versus Canisius. Senior Megan Rigos (Pittsburgh, Pa.) was phenomenal on the mound as she went the distance in both games totaling 23 strikeouts.

Rigos, who was knocked around in Marist's tournament opener against Canisius, was in total control throughout both games. She tossed 14 innings in all, allowed one earned run, and had double-digit strikeouts in each contest. She is now 18-15 on the year.

The opener with Niagara was all Marist, and they started the scoring in the bottom of the second. Senior Annie Castellano (Hauppauge, N.Y.) got the inning going with a lead off single. Freshman Kate Malloy (Fair Haven, N.J.) followed with a sacrifice bunt attempt that the Niagara third baseman could not handle and both Malloy and Castellano were safe on the play. McCallion Campbell (Port Jervis, N.Y.) followed with an RBI single. Alanna Woody (Clinton Corners, N.Y.) then came through with a sacrifice fly that gave the Red Foxes a 2-0 lead.

Rigos worked around a two-out single in the top of the third, and the Marist bats went back to work. Junior shortstop Melissa Giordano (Stamford, Conn.) reached on an error to lead off the inning, and Pamela de la Llave (West Orange, N.J.) reached base when Niagara could not handle her sacrifice bunt attempt. Junior Jessica Green (Manassas, Va.) then roped a two-run double to straight away center to give Marist a 4-0 lead.

Rigos walked the leadoff batter in the fourth but got a strikeout, a nice play from Malloy on the left center warning track, and a fine play by Giordano at short to keep the Purple Eagles scoreless.

Campbell started the Marist fourth with her second single of the game, and after a strikeout, Mary Beth Pomes (Milford, Pa.) doubled to put runners on second and third. Giordano struck out but reached base because of a wild pitch, and de la Llave followed with an RBI single up the middle. The Red Foxes tacked on another run to go up 6-0 on an error by the catcher.

Rigos allowed two hits over the final three innings but did not allow a Niagara base runner to reach second base the entire game.

She finished with ten strikeouts.

Brooke Viola took the loss on the mound for Niagara. She allowed six runs (three earned) in 3.1 innings of work.

Marist out-hit Niagara 8-4, and the Purple Eagles (27-21) made five costly errors.

The Red Foxes took on Fairfield in the second game of the day. Fairfield lost to Canisius earlier in the winners bracket final and did not look ready for Rigos and the Marist bats.

The first nine batters of the game were retired in order. Castellano singled to lead off the bottom of the second for Marist but was stranded at second base. Rigos struck out the side in the top of the third, and the Red Foxes (24-29) broke through in their half of the inning. Pomes and Giordano each singled with one out to put runners on first and second. Fairfield starter Sarah Minice threw two wild pitches which allowed Pomes to score the game's first run.

Rigos worked around a leadoff single in the top of the fourth, and the Red Foxes added to their lead in the bottom half of the inning. Malloy singled with one out, and Catenacci followed with an RBI double. After a sacrifice bunt, Alanna Woody delivered an RBI single that gave Marist a 3-0 lead.

Fairfield put runners on first and second with one out in the fifth but Rigos came through with two strikeouts to put down the Fairfield rally.

Marist put the game away with three more runs in the sixth. Castellano ignited the scoring again as she got things going with a walk. After a strikeout, Catenacci walked, and after another strikeout, Woody reached on an error and Castellano came around to score. Pomes delivered an RBI single and Giordano walked to load the bases. De la Llave then singled to plate Woody and put Marist up 6-0.

Fairfield scored a run on an Erin Franck double in the seventh, but Rigos got two strikeouts to end the game and keep the Red Foxes hopes alive.

Marist out-hit the Stags 7-5 and did not make an error.

After looking sloppy in their opening round loss to the Griffs, Marist was flawless today. They made no errors, got clutch hitting, and Rigos was pretty much untouchable.

Sunday's championship round will begin at noon. Marist needs to win two in a row to win the MAAC Championship and clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament because Canisius has yet to lose in the double elimination tournament. The location of the game (s) will be decided tomorrow morning as DeLuca Field in Stratford, Conn. could still be unplayable. If that is the case, the game will be played at Alumni Softball Field on the campus of Fairfield University.

All of the action can be heard right here at GoRedFoxes.com beginning at 11:50 a.m.