CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The La Salle softball team earned a sweep on the opening day of the Green and White Invitational, defeating Fairfield 12-4 in their first game of the season before topping UNC Charlotte 4-1 in game two at Charlotte's Phillips Softball Complex.
 
La Salle 12, Fairfield 4
The Explorers (1-0) jumped out a 5-0 lead in the top of the 1^st thanks to a leadoff homer by Michelle Hagarty and a grand slam by Valerie Pineiro all before the Stags (0-2) could get an out.
 
Mackenzie Obert was hit by a pitch after the Hagarty long ball, Christina Bascara singled to center and Suzanne Swanicke bunted for a hit to load the bases. Pineiro drilled the ball over the fence in center to put La Salle up 5-0.
 
McKenzie Peace (W, 1-0) settled in nicely with the big lead, not allowing an earned run in the five-inning win although four unearned runs scored in the 5^th after a La Salle fielding error with two outs loaded the bases.

Swanicke left the yard with a three-run homer in the 4^th to make it 8-0 and the Explorers added four more in the 5^th. Hagarty picked up another RBI when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and scored on a wild pitch but not before a two-run double by Obert. 
 
La Salle 4, Charlotte 1  
Charlotte (9-4) scored their only run against Marlo Roadcap (W, 1-0) in the top of the 1^st inning on a passed ball. The lefty limited the 49ers to just five hits over the next six innings while striking out three in the complete-game effort.
 
Bascara quickly tied the game with an RBI triple in the bottom of the 1^st before Emma Schweigert drove in the go-ahead run in the 3^rd with an RBI single. Taylor Rohrbaugh plated two insurance runs in the 5^th with a two-run single to right to score Bascara and Schweigert. 

La Salle (2-0) returns to the field tomorrow against Robert Morris (2-9) at 10 a.m. The Explorers will also play again at either 2:30 p.m. or 4:45 p.m. depending on the result of the first game. Opponent is still to be determined.