Marist improved to 7-0 in MAAC play on Saturday, taking the first two games of the three-game series against Saint Peter’s.
Graduate student pitcher Ava Metzger and redshirt sophomore pitcher Stella Blanchard kept the Peacocks off the scoreboard; Metzger hurled her fourth consecutive complete game en route to a 3-0 game one victory, while Blanchard was able to strand baserunners and preserve the shutout.
“I personally do better under pressure,” said Metzger. “I think it helps having those baserunners, knowing that I can’t let them score.”
The Red Foxes utilized four home runs to jolt their offense. Sophomore catcher/utility Sienna Kunze led the way with two, while junior outfielder Samantha Rogers and freshman utility Maia Salvo each hit one.
“I love playing here at Gartland,” said head coach Joe Ausanio. “I feel like we have a team that can be really good here, and we got some timely hits when we needed them.”
In game one, junior pitcher Morgan Lipansky retired the first five Marist hitters in a row; Marist adopted an aggressive approach at the plate early, as four hitters put the first pitch in play the first time through the lineup.
After a two-out walk, Ausanio spent a mound visit to chat with Metzger. The veteran head coach is the pitch-caller, but Metzger wanted to throw a pitch that Ausanio was not calling.
“She kept signaling to me that she wanted to throw a curveball,” said Ausanio. “I said to her, ‘The scouting report on this girl was that she’s a dead pull hitter and her power is in. So if you are gonna throw this, you better throw it in.’’’
Metzger proceeded to get the hitter to pop-up, as well as dissect the Peacock lineup on her way to her second complete game shutout in her last four outings. Over the seven innings, the Freehold, NJ native only yielded three hits and struck out five.
In the bottom of the second, the Red Foxes were able to manufacture a two-out run off of Lipansky. Freshman utility Livia Wiltsie ripped a double down the left field line and was escorted home on an RBI single from senior catcher Isabella Manory. Wilstie and Manory recorded multiple hits for the Red Foxes.
The second time through the lineup, the Marist hitters became more selective and put themselves in advantageous counts. In hitter’s counts, Rogers and sophomore catcher/utility Sienna Kunze launched back-to-back home runs to increase the lead to three. Despite being rewarded with the loss, Lipansky provided the Peacocks with a quality start, gutting through six innings while only allowing three runs.
The Peacocks’ best opportunity to score came at the top of the sixth inning. Junior outfielder Hannah Klotz slapped a leadoff double down the left field line, setting up the heart of Saint Peter’s order with a runner in scoring position.
Metzger worked through the Peacocks’ best hitters, junior infielders Kiana Kadena Matsuda and Carlee Charles, to escape the inning. Kadena Matsuda and Charles entered Saturday’s contests with OPS marks of .939 and .871, respectively, and Metzger retired them consecutively to leave Klotz stranded on third.
Metzger finished off the side to preserve the victory, lowering her season ERA to a minute 1.71.
“I always knew when she was at Manhattan that she had the ability to be one of the best pitchers in this conference,” Ausanio said. “When she was in the portal, I said, ‘I’m going to grab her because I think that she is going to give us another chance to win a championship.’”
In game two, Saint Peter’s created traffic against redshirt sophomore pitcher Stella Blanchard, but were unable to capitalize. The Peacocks had the leadoff hitter reach base in five of the six innings, but stranded a runner on second base in each frame.
After wasting an opportunity of their own in the second inning, the Red Foxes responded in the third to take a 2-0 lead. Freshman first baseman/outfielder Annabelle Geiser utilized her speed to extend a single into a double, and graduate student infielder Haley Ahr lined an RBI single to right. The ball was hit hard, but Ausanio sent Geiser home without hesitation. In the first inning, Geiser dug out an infield single on what looked like a routine ground ball to the shortstop.
After Blanchard worked her way into and out of trouble in the fourth, Marist tagged sophomore pitcher Brielle Coppola for five runs in the bottom half. In her first start since Feb. 28, Salvo jump-started the scoring with a solo home run; Salvo worked a seven-pitch walk in her first at-bat.
“She’s been working hard and has a great attitude,” said Ausanio. “I even said to [assistant coach Alyssa Grupp] that this is a really good pitcher for Maia. [If] she times her up, she can put one out of here.”
Following the Salvo home run, senior outfielder Peyton Pusey ignited another rally. Pusey laced a single, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After an Ahr walk, Rogers roped a two-RBI single to extend the lead to four. Two batters later, Wilstie smoked an RBI single that got a piece of Coppola, effectively ending her outing.
A bases-loaded walk drawn by Manory brought in the fifth run of the inning, and to secure the run-rule victory, Kunze clubbed another solo home run, her second of the afternoon.
Marist will look to stay perfect in MAAC play tomorrow, weather permitting. First pitch is tentatively set for noon.
Edited by Ava Battinelli
Photo by Cassidy Connors
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