Marist softball completed the sweep against Sacred Heart on Saturday in a 4-3 victory in Fairfield, Conn., outscoring the Pioneers 21-3 in three games.
Sacred Heart (18-22, 8-9 MAAC) scored their first runs of the series in the final game, but Marist (34-7-1, 11-2-1 MAAC) did just enough to keep the Pioneers from ever taking a lead. Freshman Sienna Kunze delivered the game-winning RBI and senior designated player and pitcher Maddie Pleasants excelled in 4 ⅔ innings of relief.
Both teams saw the same pitchers, graduate student Kylie Myers and junior pitcher Sam Kowalski, start in the circle as their first matchup the day prior. Four innings were needed on Friday for a run to cross the plate; both teams put much better swings on the aces during the 4-3 battle.
“I thought we had really good approaches today against Kowalski,” said Marist head coach Joe Ausanio. “We didn’t swing and miss nearly as much as we did the other day, and I was really proud of their effort in the box because they really went to school and studied their at-bats [from yesterday].”
Junior center fielder Peyton Pusey doubled to lead off the game and came around to score, giving Marist a first-inning lead for the second consecutive game against the Pioneers. Redshirt junior first baseman Haley Ahr brought Pusey home with a double of her own for Marist’s 1-0 lead.
Myers toed the slab for the Red Foxes a day after throwing a MAAC record 20th career shutout on Friday. Sacred Heart’s senior right fielder Mia Teodosio provided the Pioneers’ first RBI of the series with a second-inning single, tying the game at 1-1.
The Pioneers threatened for more runs in the second inning with no outs and runners in scoring position. Graduate student shortstop Miah McDonald made an incredible cross-body throw to first deep in the hole, followed by two Myers strikeouts to keep the game tied.
“Miah is like a human highlight reel. She just reminds me of Ozzie Smith out there defensively, she’s just so incredible and a generational talent,” said Ausanio.
Senior first baseman Maddie Gore and Pusey reached on singles to begin the third inning and scored on an error by junior shortstop Nicole Henke. The shortstop could not come up with a ball hit by Pleasants, allowing Marist to take the lead right back at 3-1.
Sacred Heart immediately responded, loading the bases and giving Kowalski a chance to provide run support for herself. She did just that, bringing home two runs with a double to left-center field to tie the game at 3-3 and giving the Pioneers life they did not have the day prior.
Ausanio pulled Myers for Pleasants following the double, and she entered with runners on second and third with one out. Pleasants struck out the next two batters, finishing the third inning unscathed and preventing Sacred Heart from taking their first lead of the series.
“It was a little hot today on the turf, so I don’t know if maybe Kylie just got tired,” said Ausanio. “I couldn’t tell, but I just thought it was a good time to get a change in there. Maddie came in and just absolutely slammed the door.”
Marist again took the lead back in the fifth inning on Kunze’s RBI single, scoring McDonald for a 4-3 lead. Kowalski then faced a two-out bases-loaded jam after walking sophomore left fielder Samantha Rogers, but retired senior third baseman Ronni Howard to keep the Sacred Heart deficit at one.
“I told [assistant coach] Kristen [Erb], ‘man, Sienna is clutch. You can’t teach that.’ You either have that or you don’t. She’s been stellar all year,” said Ausanio. “I could not be more proud of her. She just continues to get better and better. I think she’s going to be a force for four years.”
Sacred Heart put two runners on with two outs in the seventh, but Pleasants only needed the one-run cushion. Over her 4 ⅔ innings of relief, she racked up six strikeouts and allowed only a hit and no runs. The series sweep is the fifth of seven conference matchups in which they won each game of the given series. The Red Foxes’ next game will finally end the long-awaited official home opener.
“I’m super excited to get back out there. I’ve been waiting to get back on that field, and it looked beautiful the other day when I went down there,” said Ausanio.
After 42 games as road warriors, Marist is scheduled to finally play its first game in Poughkeepsie on Tuesday, April 22. The first pitch against Merrimack is scheduled for noon.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Photo from Marist Athletics
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