Last Week’s Stats: 2.39 ERA, 2-0 Record, 4 APP, 2 GS, 14.2 IP, 2 CG, 15 H, 7 R (5 ER), 6 BB, 14 K, .250 OPP AVG
Appearing in all four of LIU’s contests last week, Fairbanks went 2-0 in each of her two starts against Saint Francis to help lead the Sharks to a pivotal three-game conference sweep this past weekend. On the week, she posted a 2.39 ERA in 14.2 innings while against the Red Flash, she allowed four earned runs and struck out 11 in a pair of complete-game efforts. The sophomore worked the circle in Saturday’s series opener, a 13-4 decision, to pick up her eighth victory of the season. The Ocean State product came out of the bullpen with no outs in the bottom of the seventh in Sunday’s opening game, and she staved off a Saint Francis comeback bid by inducing two strikeouts and a ground out. In Sunday’s nightcap, Fairbanks went the distance and allowed just one earned run to improve to 9-5 on the year with the 12-2 win. In the same game, Fairbanks made a splash in the batter’s box as well, hammering her first career home run — a grand slam — to lead the Sharks to the 12-2 win. She finished the series with a .571 batting average (4-for-7) while recording five runs, four RBI, four walks, two stolen bags, one home run and a double. With 74 punchouts in 82.0 frames, Fairbanks enters the final week of the regular season as LIU’s win leader. This is her first NEC Pitcher of the Week award.