Marist softball resumed MAAC play on Saturday, splitting a doubleheader in New Rochelle to the Iona Gaels.
Iona snapped its four-game losing streak to Marist in game one; the Gaels used a seven-run second inning and a complete game from freshman pitcher Melissa Gordon. In game two, the Red Foxes used a stellar start from redshirt sophomore pitcher Stella Blanchard to eke out a 2-1 win.
“I thought she commanded the zone and threw her changeup for strikes whenever she needed it,” said Marist head coach Joe Ausanio. “When you can throw your changeup for strikes at this level, you are going to be successful.”
Graduate student pitcher Ava Metzger turned in her worst start of the season in game one. After firing six innings of three-run ball against nationally ranked Arizona State, Metzger struggled to get into a rhythm against Iona. On her first warmup pitch, Metzger fell and appeared to be kicking excess dirt off of the circle.
“I think when that happens as a pitcher, you are worried that it is going to happen again,” said Ausanio. “It might have been in the back of her mind, but you have to give them credit. They had some really good contact on what I thought were good pitches.”
After the Gaels took a 1-0 lead, freshman utility Livia Wiltsie and senior catcher Isabella Manory walked on eight and seven pitches, respectively. With two outs and two strikes on freshman first base/outfielder Lily Roumelis, she launched her second home run of the season to give Marist their lone lead of the game. The three-run shot served as Roumelis’ first extra-base hit since March 8 against Fairfield.
In the seven-run second, Iona sent 12 hitters to the plate. Sophomore catcher/infielder Addie Smith knotted the game at three with a two-RBI double; an errant throw to home plate allowed Smith to advance to third. A batter later, senior outfielder Hannah Werth gave Iona the lead, one they did not give up.
After a strikeout of senior utility Alivia Lichtner, senior infielder Brianna Fischer laced a two-RBI double to give Iona a 6-3 lead; Fischer entered the contest with a team-high 1.027 OPS. The double prompted Ausanio to remove his ace after allowing seven runs on six hits in just 1.2 innings of work.
Junior pitcher/outfielder Anna Sidlowski replaced Metzger and allowed one inherited runner to score as well as an unearned run. On senior catcher Brooke Acker’s second hit of the inning, senior outfielder Peyton Pusey attempted to throw behind the senior infielder Haliley Guerrero rounding third base. Guerrero was in trouble, but sophomore catcher/utility Sienna Kunze dropped the ball, allowing Guerrero to scamper home and extend the lead to 8-3.
Sidlowski weathered the storm over the next four innings, keeping the Gaels off the scoreboard. In the top of the fifth inning, Iona loaded the bases with two outs, but Sidlowski struck out freshman outfielder Rachael Morales to escape the threat.
The Gaels relied on strong defense in the fifth and sixth innings to keep the Red Foxes off the bases. Sophomore infielder Sara Piña made a diving stop at third, robbing graduate student Haley Ahr of a base hit. Leading off the sixth, Werth fully extended in center field to take away a hit from freshman Livia Wiltsie.
For Marist, senior catcher Isabella Manory threw out two runners attempting to steal second base. The senior also tallied two hits.
After Pusey’s second single in the sixth, Gordon retired the final nine hitters she faced to preserve the victory. Gordon’s season ERA sits at 1.98 after Saturday’s start; in MAAC play, the freshman possesses a 1.79 ERA in 39 innings pitched.
In game two, Blanchard and junior pitcher Allison Hoppe took part in a pitcher’s duel. Hoppe and Blanchard only allowed two and four hits, respectively, despite the Red Foxes making hard contact. A two-run third inning was all Blanchard needed to secure the win for Marist.
Blanchard retired 17 of the first 18 batters she faced and induced lots of weak contact throughout the outing. The redshirt sophomore lowered her ERA in MAAC play to 1.53 in 32 innings pitched.
Freshman utility Maia Salvo, reigning MAAC Rookie of the Week, led off the run-scoring inning with a ground-ruled double. Two batters later, Pusey singled to center field. Werth misjudged the hit, allowing the run to score and for Pusey to advance to third base. Marist took advantage of the miscue, as freshman first baseman/outfielder Annabelle Geiser’s RBI groundout plated Pusey.
Blanchard cruised through the first 5.2 innings before running into trouble. After a two-out double by Morales, Lichtner’s RBI single cut the deficit in half. Blanchard walked the next two batters, loading the bases for Pina, who popped up to Ahr to end the inning.
In the seventh, the Gaels gained a base runner via a single from Smith, but Blanchard struck Werth out looking to end the game. The Red Foxes remain in first place in the MAAC with a 10-2 record.
Marist will look to win the rubber game and the series tomorrow. First pitch is set for noon.
Edited by Max Rosen
Photo by Jaylen Rizzo
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