Despite trailing 2-0 down to their final three outs, Marist softball used a three-run seventh inning to secure the rubber game of its three-game series against the Iona Gaels, 3-2.
After tying the game at two, Marist used three, two-out singles to manufacture the third run in the top of the seventh. Graduate student infielder Haley Ahr, hitless in eight at-bats in the series, poked a seeing-eye single into center field to vault the Red Foxes in front by a run.
The Gaels had the tying-run on second base with senior infielder Brianna Fischer at the plate in the bottom half, but junior pitcher/outfielder Anna Sidlowski induced a tapper back to the circle to end the contest.
Junior pitcher/infielder Bella DiGiandomenico and Sidlowski exchanged zeroes through the first five innings. With the help of stellar outfield defense, DiGiandomenico held the Red Foxes hitless through 5.1 innings, while Sidlowski featured a strong curveball to neutralize Iona’s offense in a complete-game effort. In 11.1 innings pitched this series, Sidlowski only allowed two earned runs and struck out eight, including a season-high six in Sunday’s outing.
After a rough start to the season against stiff non-conference competition, Sidlowski has enjoyed success since the start of MAAC play. In 19.1 innings pitched, the junior holds a 2.53 ERA to her name.
Iona flashed the leather early and often in the outfield on Sunday. In the top of the second, senior utility Alivia Lichtner robbed junior outfielder Samantha Rogers of a home run. In the top of the fourth, Lichtner took an extra-base hit away from sophomore catcher/infielder Sienna Kunze, crashing into the wall to make another sensational play.
More great defense from Iona stalled a run-scoring opportunity for Marist in the third inning. Senior catcher Isabella Manory and freshman first baseman/outfielder Lily Roumelis worked walks to set up senior outfielder Peyton Pusey with a runner in scoring position. Pusey lined one to center, but senior outfielder Hannah Werth laid out and made the catch to preserve the tie.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Gaels broke the scoreless tie. After a leadoff single from Lichtner, sophomore infielder Sara Piña chopped one to Ahr, but she stayed back on her heels and was unable to nab Lichtner at second base. With the bases loaded and two outs, sophomore catcher/infielder Addie Smith hit the ball sharply at Roumelis. The ball trickled away, and freshman utility Livia Wiltsie retrieved it; Wiltsie was close enough to first to step on the base herself, but the freshman appeared to be in between doing so or handing the ball to Roumelis.
Neither occurred, which allowed two runs to score. Marist head coach Joe Ausanio challenged the safe call at first, to no avail.
In spite of the indecisiveness an inning earlier, Wilstie jumpstarted the Marist rally in the seventh. She deposited a first-pitch, solo home run over the left field fence to cut the deficit in half. A batter later, Manory launched a triple into left-center that Lichtner or Werth could not come up with, ending DiGiandomenico’s outing.
Freshman pitcher Melissa Gordon entered, and immediately surrendered a sacrifice fly to freshman utility Maia Salvo to tie the game, as well as two-out hits to Pusey and freshman utility McKenna Manley. Manley recorded two pinch-hit singles, including Marist’s first of the game in the sixth inning.
With the go-ahead run on second and two outs, Iona head coach Andy Russo inserted junior pitcher Allison Hoppe to face Ahr. Russo pushed the incorrect button, as the former batting champion delivered the game-winning RBI single.
The Red Foxes are back in action on Tuesday against Sacred Heart, who currently sit in fourth place in the MAAC. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Gartland Field.
Edited by Max Rosen
Graphic and photo by Jaylen Rizzo
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