Marist softball finished a three-game slate against Mount St. Mary’s with a commanding 10-3 victory, securing their third consecutive MAAC conference series win to start the year.
Marist (25-10, 7-2 MAAC) had graduate student pitcher Kiley Myers enter the day leading the MAAC with 103 innings pitched, 18 more innings than anyone else in the conference. Despite having pitched eight innings a day prior, Marist’s workhorse ace made her 16th start of the season and pitched yet another complete game, adding seven more innings to her ledger while only ceding three runs.
“I feel like I’m holding up pretty good,” said Myers. “I felt strong that entire game, and it’s just something I work on at practice and in the offseason to prepare myself.”
In contrast, the Mount’s pitching staff struggled, cycling through three pitchers en route to a lopsided loss.
The Mount (7-20, 1-6 MAAC) initially played the role of the aggressor by getting off to a fast start in the top of the first inning. Senior outfielder Julia Vincent singled on a comebacker that hit off of Myers’ gloves; senior catcher Tori Bowles followed suit by cracking a two-run homer to straightaway center field to put her team up by a pair of runs.
“Obviously, giving up a two-run homer in the top of the first inning is not something you wanna do as a pitcher, but I know with my defense behind me, they were able to pick me up,” said Myers.
The Red Foxes immediately responded in the bottom of the first against Mount sophomore pitcher Maddie Coleman, who entered the day with a 6.86 ERA in 49 innings pitched. Coleman allowed sophomore outfielder Peyton Pusey to reach on a leadoff bunt, and senior utility player Miah McDonald then singled up the middle. A double to right center from junior designated player Maddie Pleasants brought them both home; Pleasants later scored on a wild pitch to give Marist a 3-2 lead.
“I’m really proud of their resiliency,” said Marist head coach Joe Ausanio. “They’re never out of it in a game, they can just explode for a high offensive output when we have all cylinders running.”
After only recording one out and allowing senior utility player Alyssa Grupp to dunk an opposite-field single down the left-field line, Mount head coach Anna Nagro had seen enough. She replaced Coleman with freshman pitcher Sophia Schmehl, who has been her team’s most effective pitcher this season.
It appeared that Schmehl might escape the inning without allowing further damage when freshman outfielder Taylor Anderson hit a ground ball to Mount graduate student first baseman Elizabeth King, but a misplay allowed another run to score and the inning to continue. After one, Marist led 4-2.
“That first inning, we did so many good things,” said Ausanio. “We stole bases, we had timely hits when we needed them and that’s what good teams have to do in order to win.”
Myers settled down with a pair of scoreless innings, which included a sterling defensive play from the shortstop McDonald, who dove across the infield to record the final out of the second inning. Schmehl countered with two scoreless frames of her own, preserving the 4-2 score entering the fourth inning.
In the top of the fourth, the Mount used some small ball to cut into the deficit. With one out, King sent a flare to right field that fell in after a defensive miscommunication, sending a pinch runner, freshman outfielder Taylor Williams, to third base. After a mound visit from Ausanio, Mount sophomore utility player Lia Festa dropped a bunt that scored Williams, cutting the Marist lead to one halfway through play.
“[During the mound visit] we were reminding ourselves that we have to have confidence in our defense,” said redshirt sophomore utility player Haley Ahr. “They’re a good team, but anything they’re gonna push, we’re gonna push right back.”
Mount St. Mary’s returned the favor with their own costly defensive miscue in the bottom of the fourth. King continued to struggle defensively at first base, booting a ground ball off the bat of Pusey that scored Anderson. Marist’s big boppers then broke things open, as a double from McDonald and a single from Pleasants gave Marist a five-run lead and prompted another pitching change. Senior pitcher Amaya Bowman entered and immediately ceded a two-run shot to Ahr, extending the Red Fox lead to 10-3 entering the fifth inning.
“It’s amazing because this lineup goes so deep, 1-9 all making a huge impact. Just continuing to add to that group of nine, it feels amazing,” said Ahr.
After holding onto the seven-run lead for the remainder of the game, the Red Foxes will now have a quick turnaround as they travel to Loudonville, N.Y. to play Siena on Tuesday at 2 p.m. Like Marist, the Saints reside in the upper echelon of the MAAC standings with a 4-1 MAAC record an 18-9 overall record at the time of this writing. Siena is led by ace pitchers Alissa Eimont and Nicole Patille, who both currently clock in at no. 1 and 2 in ERA within the conference.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Graphic by Raegan Van Zandt; Photo from Marist Athletics
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