The doubleheader matchup between Marist and Siena on Tuesday afternoon was a softball fan’s dream. A matchup featuring two of the stronger MAAC conference teams, two must-watch pitching matchups and a clear sunny day made it finally feel like prime spring softball weather in Loudonville, NY.
Siena (19-11, 5-3 MAAC) took the first game 2-1 in a pitching duel and Marist (26-11, 8-3 MAAC) bounced back with a massive six-run third inning in game two, taking the second game 10-2 and forcing a split.
The 2-1 game one Siena win featured graduate student pitcher Kiley Myers and two-time MAAC Pitcher of the Week redshirt sophomore pitcher Alissa Eimont.
“We have really tried to give the kids a great scouting report on the pitchers as well as sending them their films. I think I’m just a little bit disappointed that we didn’t quite make adjustments early enough on Eimont,” said head coach Joe Ausanio.
Myers, the reigning MAAC Pitcher of the Week, and Eimont led the MAAC in ERA with a 1.97 ERA and 1.64 ERA, respectively, coming into the afternoon duel.
While the two aces went three-up, three-down in the first inning, it didn’t take long for either offense to come across scoring opportunities.
Senior utility Alyssa Grupp recorded the game’s first hit in the second inning and snuck into second base after the majority of the field confused ball three for ball four. She then moved to third on a single from a sophomore catcher Isabella Manory.
Junior Ronni Howard attempted a sacrifice bunt to score Grupp, but the Saints stuffed the attempt, turning a 1-3-2 inning-ending double play.
In the bottom of the second, Myers had redshirt senior infielder Diana Parker in a 2-2 count with two outs but plunked Parker to load the bases and keep the inning alive.
Freshman infielder Carlie Venables used an opposite-field approach for her sixth hit of the season, sneaking a single through the right side of the infield and giving Siena a 1-0 second-inning lead.
After a bit of second-inning trouble, both pitchers cruised through the fifth inning. Then came reigning MAAC Player of the Week, senior utility Miah McDonald.
With her team down one, McDonald smoothly bat-flipped a towering shot over the scoreboard to tie the game at 1-1; giving the Red Foxes some life.
Sophomore infielder Emma Petersen immediately responded in the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff double. Junior catcher Madi Silber brought home Petersen’s pinch runner, freshman infielder Mary Mikalsen, by singling up the middle and pumping her fists as she reached first.
The go-ahead RBI single turned into the game-winner as Eimont retired the side in the seventh, finishing her fourth complete game of the season; overall, Eimont allowed six hits, no walks and struck out four batters on 98 pitches.
Myers also allowed six hits and went the distance along with five strikeouts. After entering the game with 99 strikeouts, the graduate student recorded 100 strikeouts in a season for the first time. The milestone was, however, spoiled by Siena eking out a 2-1 pitching battle in game one.
The second game was another excellent pitching matchup with a contrast of experience between freshman pitcher Anna Sidlowski and graduate student pitcher Nicole Patille.
Regardless of class, Patille and Sidlowski entered Tuesday with a 2.07 ERA and 2.14 ERA respectively, right behind their teammates as third and fourth in the MAAC ERA leaders.
Patille struggled to start the second game, loading the bases with three walks to sophomore outfielder Peyton Pusey, McDonald and redshirt sophomore infielder Haley Ahr. Marist then took the lead on a Grupp ground out, but Patille got out of the inning without allowing any additional runs to cross home plate
Plenty of insurance runs came in the third inning for Marist with three no-doubt homers from McDonald, Ahr and Howard to left field, putting Marist up seven runs.
“Having [McDonald] in the two spot, especially if [Pusey] gets on, it really ignites the offense… Miah [McDonald] has been the catalyst to keep things rolling,” said Ausanio.
McDonald increased her season total to 12 home runs, mashing another no-doubter in the third inning.
“Miah [McDonald] is just on another level right now. The way she’s swinging the bat, it’s crazy. The second home run she hit, she must’ve hit it about 300 feet,” said Ausanio.
Two batters later, Ahr hit her seventh home run of the season following a Pleasants single to extend the lead to 4-0.
Howard also got in on the fun, smoking a three-run shot to score Grupp and junior outfielder Kaitlyn Husic and blowing the game open to 7-0. Patille was then pulled for freshman Hailey Francois, and Marist tacked on two more runs the very next inning.
Pusey began the fourth inning with a walk, followed by a McDonald double. Pusey tagged up on a Pleasants foul out and knocked the ball out of the catcher’s glove on the slide to score. Ahr then recorded her third RBI of the game, giving Marist a 9-0 lead after four innings.
Outside of Siena’s two-run fourth inning, the freshman allowed no hits for her 12th win of the season. Pusey’s RBI single in the top of the fifth and Sidlowski’s fourth scoreless inning finished the Red Foxes 10-2 run rule fifth-inning victory.
The doubleheader result is becoming a pattern for Marist. For the third consecutive series, the Red Foxes dropped game one before punching back to take the series.
“They just seem to have better approaches in the second [game] than in game one,” said Ausanio. “Tomorrow, I’m sure they’re going to pitch [Eimont] again. We just have to be better and have a better plan.”
Marist will have a chance to win their fourth straight conference series tomorrow with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.
Edited/Photo Credit: Luke Sassa
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