Marist softball became the fourth-winningest team in program history after splitting with Lafayette during a Wednesday afternoon doubleheader for the final non-conference matchup of the season.
A seven-run fifth inning gave Marist (34-16) a comfortable 9-2 game one win while the long ball played a major factor in Lafayette’s (5-34) 6-5 game two victory.
The game one victory was number 34 of the season, breaking the fourth-place tie between the 1995, 2006 and 2011 teams of 33 wins.
Neither game one starter, graduate student pitcher Kiley Myers and freshman pitcher Parker Rowden, went further than the fourth inning. Both coaches conserved their pitchers in the non-conference matchup.
Rowden, appearing in her fourth start of the season, kept Marist off the board through two innings. A diving catch by sophomore outfielder Olivia Catalina ended the Red Foxes’ second-inning threat with runners on first and second.
Both teams finally started scoring and began trading leads in the third inning.
Graduate student outfielder Sophia Recrosio and sophomore outfielder Peyton Pusey opened the third inning causing small ball havoc, bunting for base hits and advancing into scoring position.
Senior infielder Miah McDonald and redshirt sophomore infielder Haley Ahr gave Marist a 2-0 lead with sacrifice flies to right field. The Jaguars took the lead right back in the bottom of the third.
Myers allowed free passes to the first two batters, bringing the Jaguars’ batting average leader, sophomore Megan Coyle, to the plate. The sophomore came through, sending a two-RBI single to the fence.
The first base umpire blew an inning-ending double play for Marist, calling senior outfielder Paige Sandidge safe at first despite the ball beating her by an obvious step, allowing Coyle to come home for Lafayette’s third third-inning run.
Pusey once again bunted for a hit to lead off the fourth, followed by McDonald reaching after Coyle let a grounder to shortstop go right through her legs. With runners on second and third, a two-RBI single from Ahr titled the seesawing lead in Marist’s direction for good.
Rowden was pulled after junior utility Maddie Pleasants singled up the middle and senior Alyssa Grupp was hit-by-pitch to load the bases with no outs.
Rowden’s responsible runners scored in the next at-bat after freshman infielder Samantha Rogers shot the left field gap for a bases-clearing double off junior pitcher Morrigan Gardiner.
With no outs, Howard executed her second bunt base hit with Marist’s lead standing firm at 7-3 to put runners on second and third.
Coyle’s second error of the inning and a wild pitch allowed Howard and Rogers to score, putting Marist up six runs.
Freshman outfielder/pitcher Anna Sidlowski entered in relief for Myers to begin the fourth and kept Lafayette at bay for her 14th win of the season. Sidlowski struck out four in four innings pitched while allowing three hits, no walks and no runs.
The Leopards’ five errors in game one certainly aided Marist in a 9-3 victory, but the Red Foxes also helped themselves.
Pusey went 3-5 with a double and a stolen base, Ahr extended her hitting streak to nine games during her 2-3 two-RBI game, Howard recorded two hits and Rogers’ bases-clearing double gave her a game-high three RBI.
Pleasants drew the game two start in the circle for the Red Foxes while senior pitcher Jacqueline Cal started for Lafayette.
McDonald was quiet in game one but her impact was felt immediately in game two. Cal’s first pitch delivered to the reigning MAAC Player of the Week was sent the opposite way for her sixth home run in seven games.
McDonald’s 20th homer of the season, which has only been accomplished once before in MAAC conference history, put Marist in front 1-0 after the first inning.
In the top of the fourth inning, Marist added to their lead as the two-way Pleasants gave herself run support with a solo home run.
Outside of the solo blasts, Cal was sharp in five innings, striking out five while Pleasants entered the fifth inning with five punch outs as well.
Two errors by McDonald and Grupp started the bottom of the fifth; Coyle took advantage, crushing a ball over the left field fence, giving Lafayette a 3-2 lead.
Senior pitcher Kailiee Sawai was brought on in relief and immediately faced trouble. The Red Foxes brought the dangerous Ahr in to pinch-hit with one out and two on base in the sixth after McDonald and Grupp singled.
Ahr hit a hard-hit line drive to center but it was caught, ending the top of the sixth; the Leopards added three more runs to their lead in the bottom half of the inning. Sawai would face more trouble trying to close the game in the seventh.
Junior Isabella Milazzo entered as the new pitcher for Pleasants and allowed four hits, including a Coyle RBI single and sophomore catcher Regan Dillon’s two-RBI double, adding to the Leopards’ 6-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
Recrosio entered as a pinch hitter, delivering an RBI single to bring Marist within three. The Red Foxes then trailed 6-5 after Pusey hit a two-run home run and McDonald came to the plate as the tying run.
Both she and Grupp flew out, allowing Lafayette to sneak away with a 6-5 win, their fifth win of the season.
The Red Foxes’ final series of the regular season begins on Friday at noon in Fairfield, Connecticut against MAAC opponent Fairfield. They will need one win in that series to clinch the one seed and host the MAAC Championships.
Edited by Cara Lacey
Photo from Jaylen Rizzo
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