Marist softball squeaked past Saint Peter’s in a 3-0 win on a windy Sunday in Jersey City to sweep their first MAAC series, securing the sweep in an alternative fashion to the first two beatdowns against the Peacocks.
“I think the biggest thing was just the wind and the cold. The wind was blowing in today, and we hit quite a few balls that would have been home runs any other day,” said Marist head coach Joe Ausanio.
The Red Foxes (24-5, 3-0 MAAC) entered the game 1-5 when scoring three runs or less but remained in control to take down the Peacocks (7-13, 0-3 MAAC). Sophomore pitcher Anna Sidlowski tossed six innings of shutout ball and graduate student pitcher Kiley Myers finished for the save.
Graduate student shortstop Miah McDonald and junior center fielder Peyton Pusey’s extra-base hits proved to be the difference in a game where both offensives struggled to score. Sidlowski and sophomore pitcher Morgan Lipansky controlled traffic in the circle, stranding 20 runners on base; Marist left 12 to Saint Peter’s eight.
“We just didn’t get timely hits when we needed them. Even though we won the game, we left 12 runners on base, bases loaded twice, and just didn’t score,” said Ausanio. “Those are the things we need to clean up and have better at-bats.”
The sophomores contrasted in pitching styles, Lipansky aided by forced flyball contact in the air while Sidlowski kept the Peacocks off balance resulting in grounders. Lipansky also threw 140 pitches often working counts compared to Sidlowski’s efficient 74 pitches.
Lipansky immediately faced trouble in the first inning but, for the first time all series, kept the Red Foxes off the board in the first.
She retired the first two Red Foxes in the second inning but senior right fielder Kaitlyn Husic worked a two-out walk, bringing junior center fielder Peyton Pusey to the plate. Pusey did not record a hit in just three of her 28 starts coming into the day.
Her consistency continued with an RBI double, walloping a hanging offspeed pitch to the right field fence on a fly and scoring Husic from first to give Marist a 1-0 second-inning lead.
Saint Peter’s threatened to tie the game in the bottom half of the second after junior third baseman Tai Turner reached second base with one out. Sidlowski produced two groundballs to freshman second baseman Sienna Kunze, keeping the Peacocks scoreless.
“[Sidlowski’s] thrown really well her last four or five outings. I’m really proud of her because last year it was Kylie and Anna and this year some of her innings have been taken up,” said Ausanio. “Sometimes kids struggle with that, and she’s done a really good job of kind of accepting her role right now.”
Redshirt junior first baseman Haley Ahr, senior designated player Maddie Pleasants and Kunze started the third inning with line drives ripped to left field for Marist’s second run. Ahr and Pleasants were the only Red Foxes to record multiple hits.
Marist loaded the bases but Lipansky limited more damage once again, adding two more strikeouts to keep the Peacocks close, down 2-0 through three. Saint Peter’s loaded the bases for Turner, the team’s RBI, OPS and SLG leader.
Senior third baseman Ronni Howard stymied a potential tying base hit by Turner. The junior smacked a grounder to third; Howard dove to her right, coming up with an absolute web gem, made a strong throw to first and beat Turner by a step to end the third inning.
“Ronni has been so solid over at third. You know what you’re gonna get, she’s hard nose player and a very cerebral player,” said Ausanio. “She knows what’s going on at all times, knows where to be in the right spot and anticipates well.”
Howard finished the play, jumping up and down and attempting to energize Marist. McDonald immediately answered Howard’s momentous play with an RBI double, scoring Pusey to begin the fourth.
Despite being robbed an inning prior, Turner answered Howard with a great play of her own at the hot corner. Turner leaped to snare a line drive off the bat of sophomore left fielder Samantha Rogers, saving Lipansky from a second and third jam.
Lipansky finished her outing with a flyout to end the top of the seventh inning, giving the Peacocks a chance for late-game dramatics.
Sophomore center fielder Taylor Montgomery led off with a single off Sidlowski and Ausanio immediately went to his veteran and ace to close the door.
“The number nine hitter, Kylie faced twice yesterday and struck her out twice. [Saint Peter’s] seeing Anna a fourth time through the order, I thought it was a good time to make the change,” said Ausanio.
Myers took care of business with two strikeouts for Marist’s 24th win and a sweep of the Peacocks to begin MAAC play undefeated. The Red Foxes travel to Connecticut on Sunday, March 30 for a non-conference doubleheader against conference opponent Quinnipiac.
Edited by Dan Aulbach
Photo from Jaylen Rizzo
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