The Marist softball team began a new season on Friday at the Charleston Southern Invitational, winning three out of five games.
The Red Foxes are coming off their best season in program history. The 2025 team tallied a new high water-mark in wins (48), earned a three seed in the College Station Region and won the program’s first-ever regional game against Saint Francis (PA).
Despite losing eight seniors, notably two-time MAAC Player of the Year Miah McDonald, reigning MAAC Pitcher of the Year Maddie Pleasants and two-time all-MAAC first team selection Kiley Myers, Marist was still selected to finish first in the MAAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll for the second consecutive season.
Key returners for Marist include graduate student infielder Haley Ahr and senior outfielder Peyton Pusey, who were ranked ninth and 62nd respectively in D1Softball’s Mid Major Top 100 rankings. Ahr, who led the country in batting average last season (.508), was named MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, while Pusey and sophomore infielder/catcher Sienna Kunze were named to the preseason all-MAAC team.
Freshman outfielder/first baseman Annabelle Geiser made quite the first impression out of the leadoff spot, going 9-16; she recorded multiple hits in three of the five contests. Pusey contributed eight hits over the weekend and stole five bases while Ahr notched seven knocks, driving in a team-high six runs.
In game one of the tournament, the Red Foxes took on Central Michigan, falling 12-4 in five innings. After losing Myers and Pleasants to graduation, Marist tasked junior pitcher/outfielder Anna Sidlowski with the opening day start. Sidlowski’s 2026 campaign did not get off to the start she hoped, as the Chippewas blitzed her for eight first inning runs on eight hits; the first seven hitters Sidlowski faced all reached base.
Sidlowski went back for the second inning, but back-to-back doubles by sophomore first baseman/utility London Williams and sophomore outfielder Jenna Kuzara ended her outing. In just 1-plus innings of work, Sidlowski yielded 10 hits resulting in nine Central Michigan runs.
Williams registered four hits in as many at-bats, as well as two RBI’s and three runs scored. The 2-3-4 in the Chippewa lineup – junior infielder Grace Koenig, Williams and Kuzara – combined for eight hits in nine at-bats, driving in seven runs while scoring five.
Following Sidlowski’s departure, head coach Joe Ausanio turned to graduate student pitcher Ava Metzger. Metzger, a transfer from MAAC foe Manhattan, weathered the storm in her Red Fox debut, hurling three innings of two-run ball and striking out three, but the early deficit proved to be too large.
In game two of the doubleheader, the Red Foxes took on the College of Charleston, defeating the Cougars 6-5 in eight innings. Geiser led the way for Marist at the plate, going 4-5 with a double and three RBI’s; three of the freshman’s hits drove in at least one run. The 1-2 punch of Geiser and Ahr, who tallied three hits of her own, recorded seven hits in 10 at-bats, bringing in four of Marist’s six runs.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Stella Blanchard stepped into the circle for the first start of her collegiate career. Blanchard missed the entire 2024 season due to injury and only made one appearance last season. Despite this, Blanchard pitched 7.1 innings, allowing five runs (two earned) and striking out four.
Marist jumped out to an early 3-0 lead at the end of the top of the second inning. Charleston responded immediately with two runs of their own in the bottom half, trimming the lead to one.
After an early offensive jolt, the Marist bats were held scoreless for the next three innings by sophomore pitcher Mackenzie Mathis. Mathis threw five innings, allowing eight hits and three runs while striking out seven.
During this cold spell from the Red Foxes, the Cougars took the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Senior outfielder Halle Cannon hit a solo home run to tie the game at three and an RBI triple from senior middle infielder Austy Miller put Charleston in front.
Following a pitching change, freshman first baseman/outfielder Lily Roumelis singled to left field to lead off the top of the sixth. She was lifted for a pinch runner, redshirt junior outfielder/utility Ava Hampton.
With Hampton on third and two outs, Geiser reached on an infield single to the pitcher to tie the game at four, utilizing her speed to cause an errant throw from sophomore pitcher Campbell Schaen.
Both teams had an opportunity to take the lead in the seventh, but stranded baserunners at third base to send the game to extras. In extra innings, the international tie-breaker rules are implemented.
After a sacrifice bunt allowed senior catcher Isabella Manory to advance to third, Geiser came through with a run-scoring hit once again, this time a double down the left field line to give Marist a one-run lead. Ahr followed her up with an RBI single, plating an insurance run to give the Red Foxes a two-run cushion.
In the bottom half, Cannon traded places with senior infielder Karlee Hughes to bring Charleston back within one. Blanchard induced a pop out from the next batter, the final hitter she faced.
Ausanio inserted freshman pitcher Kaylie DeChicchis to make her collegiate debut with the tying run on second base and one out. DeChicchis allowed a single to the nine-hitter Sitterding, setting up runners on the corners.
The Stafford, VA native proceeded to retire Charleston’s top of the order – freshman outfielder Bronwyn Conroy and Miller – via a strikeout and lineout, respectively, to end the game. DeChicchis notched her first career save while Blanchard picked up her first career win.
On Saturday, the Red Foxes came out swinging, scoring 26 runs on 20 hits in a pair of five-inning routs of George Mason and tournament host Charleston Southern. Over the course of both games, the Marist offense was fueled by three innings in which they scored at least six runs.
Against the Patriots, the explosion occurred in the second inning. Marist plated seven runs on the heels of three two-RBI knocks from Ahr, Pusey and Kunze.
DeChicchis stepped into the circle as a starter against the Patriots and delivered a quality start. She tossed all five innings, only allowing two runs and earning the win.
A second RBI triple from Pusey and a sacrifice fly from junior outfielder Samantha Rogers extended the lead in the fourth, and a pair of RBI singles from redshirt sophomore Marissa Scarano and Ahr secured the 12-2 win.
In game two, Marist leaned on a six-run second inning and a seven-run fifth inning to take care of Charleston Southern. The Red Foxes swiped an impressive 11 bases in just five innings; Geiser and Pusey each had three, leading the team.
Hampton, Geiser, Ahr and Rogers all had run-scoring hits in the second to give Metzger breathing room. The graduate student tossed four innings, allowing just one run on four hits.
Leading 7-1, Marist put the game to bed in the fifth. An RBI single from Pusey, who scored on a wild pitch later in the inning, in addition to a Manory hit by pitch forcing home a run created the first three runs of the frame.
Freshman utility Maia Salvo’s grand slam further extended the Red Fox lead, punctuating a 14-3 victory. Geiser, Ahr, Pusey and freshman utility McKenna Manley all accumulated multiple hits while eight different Red Foxes drove in at least one run.
Less than 24 hours later, the Red Foxes squared off against Charleston Southern again, this time losing 5-4 in eight innings. Marist gained a 3-0 lead courtesy of two Buccaneer errors in the top of the first inning, but the opposition chipped away at sophomore pitcher Emma Bayor to bring themselves within one after two innings of play.
Bayor became the fifth different pitcher to start a game in the tournament, a testament to the team’s starting pitching depth. After giving up two runs over the first two frames, Bayor fired two scoreless innings thereafter, allowing just two hits over four innings of work.
With Marist still leading 3-2 in the top of the fifth, Manory blasted a solo home run to give the Red Foxes a two-run lead. After Charleston Southern got that run back in the bottom half against Blanchard, they still trailed by one heading into the bottom of the seventh.
With runners on first and second with one out, redshirt sophomore catcher/utility Emma Smith delivered the game-tying triple to push the game to extra innings. On the same play, junior utility Jordyn Dimond tried scoring all the way from first, but a Marist relay nabbed her at the plate, keeping the game tied.
Despite this, the Red Foxes did not score in the top of the eighth. Blanchard retired the first two Buccaneers she faced in the bottom half, but a throwing error by freshman utility Livia Wiltsie allowed the game-winning run to score, giving Charleston Southern their first win of the season.
Marist will be back in action this weekend when they travel to Texas to participate in the East Texas A&M tournament. First pitch is set for 4:45 p.m. on Friday against the University of Rhode Island.
Edited by Hayden Shapiro
Photo by Cassidy Connors
For more coverage of Marist athletics, follow @cfmarist on Instagram, X, TikTok and Bluesky, and sign up to receive daily alerts here.