College Station, TX — No. 3 Marist softball fell in game one of the College Station Regional to No. 2 Liberty 10-5. This is the 13th time the Flames scored double-digit runs, a new program record. For Marist, the five runs are the most scored in an NCAA tournament game in program history.
Marist (47-8-1, 21-2-1 MAAC) gave the Flames (48-12, 23-3 CUSA) a scare in the third inning courtesy of graduate student shortstop Miah McDonald’s three-run shot. Liberty pulled away after that, scoring six unanswered runs. Six of the Flames’ 10 runs came with two outs, and four were unearned.
“You can’t give any team extra outs, but when you give good teams extra outs, it’s really difficult to come back from and, unfortunately, we weren’t able to come back from that deficit,” said Marist head coach Joe Ausanio.
In a game with 20 combined hits, both teams started the game with one. McDonald reached in the first with a one-out single. Senior second baseman Savannah Woodard led off the bottom of the first with a double over the head of junior center fielder Peyton Pusey.
The difference, which became the theme of the game, was the Flames’ ability to drive runners in.
Woodard moved to third, and the bases loaded up for the Flames with one out. Senior pitcher Maddie Pleasants escaped the Flames’ scoring chance with two flyouts. The Flames made due on their next chance in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead.
Senior first baseman Maddie Gore botched an inning-ending ground ball that dribbled into right field, allowing the first run to score with two outs. An intentional walk to senior right fielder and the team’s home run leader, Rachel Roupe, brought junior infielder Brynn McManus up with two on and two outs.
“[Roupe is intentionally walked] a lot, but it fires me up,” said McManus. “That’s why I hit behind her, because I have a great mindset. I know it’s not personal to me, but it fires me up.”
Pleasants got McManus to two strikes, but the first baseman seized her moment with a massive swing over the opposite field fence, giving the Flames a 4-0 lead.
The Red Foxes looked to respond next inning as Gore walked and Pusey doubled, bringing McDonald to the plate. McDonald hit a bomb in batting practice over the scoreboard the day prior and did nearly the same in her second at-bat.
McDonald crushed a 254 ft bomb to left field, bringing the Red Foxes within one. The homer was the 25th for the graduate student and tied Caroline Baratta for most career hits in program history.
On the field, it boosted Marist’s confidence. After McDonald’s bat flip and roar to the dugout, she rounded the bases and her teammates erupted with screams and celebrations.
“I was on second base when [McDonald] hit that home run; it felt like MAACs,” said Pusey. “I was like, ‘we’re right at home here, we’re meant to be here, we deserve to be here.’ The vibes were already high, but it made us feel a lot more comfortable.”
Liberty did not waver. Senior pitcher Elena Escobar struck out the side in the fourth inning, adding to her eventual total of eight. The Flames chased senior pitcher Maddie Pleasants in the bottom of the inning.
Junior shortstop Savanah Whatley led off with a triple, splitting the left-center gap, and scored on Woodard’s second hit of the game. Liberty singled twice more, loading the bases with one out and forcing sophomore pitcher Anna Sidlowski to relieve Pleasants.
“That’s what it’s about: runs batted in,” said Liberty head coach Dot Richardson. “You have the table setters, and then you have those that are ready to eat dinner.”
Sidlowski, a ground ball pitcher, produced a quick out on the ground, but again, with two outs, Liberty produced a big swing. Sophomore left fielder Paige Doerr lifted a ball to the right field warning track to clear the bases. Doerr’s eighth double of the season extended Liberty’s lead to 8-3 after four.
“They got the timely hit when they needed it, and unfortunately, they got them with two outs,” said Ausanio. “We left the bases loaded with one out and didn’t get a timely hit there… they had great approaches and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Liberty added two more runs in the fifth inning to lead 10-3. The Red Foxes loaded the bases with one out on three singles, but Escobar shut it down with an inning-ending strikeout. The Red Foxes kept fighting as Pusey and McDonald hit back-to-back jacks in the seventh inning to bring Marist within five.
Pusey’s 10th home run of the season moved her to 3-4 with a walk on the day, and McDonald is now the owner of yet another program record. McDonald’s opposite field shot gave her sole possession of the Marist career hits record.
“It’s awesome, but again, I’m not trying to do too much when I go out there,” said McDonald. “This is my first time actually playing in a regional, so I’m kind of taking it all in and gonna show up for my team.”
Senior pitcher Paige Bachman relieved Escobar and retired the three batters she faced on groundouts. Escobar’s day finished with eight strikeouts, five earned runs, one walk and nine hits allowed over six-plus innings.
Following the loss, Marist will face the loser of the No. 1 Texas A&M and No. 4 Saint Francis (PA) matchup. Marist’s game is scheduled for Saturday, May 17, at 3:30 local time, 4:30 EST.
Edited by Marley Pope
Graphic by Quinn DiFiore
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