In the second game of a Friday doubleheader, Marist softball defeated Siena 5-4 to clinch its 15th consecutive series win against MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) opponents. Marist improved its record in one-run games this season to 13-3 and has also won 12 consecutive one-run affairs.
Sophomore catcher/utility Sienna Kunze roped a walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh to continue her torrid stretch against conference foes. In 26 conference games, Kunze is slashing .372/.474/.846. Kunze went 2-4 with a home run, double and two runs batted in. The sophomore has hit 11 home runs, driven in 24 runs and has accrued 66 total bases; all of these marks, in addition to a 1.320 OPS, lead the team.
“[Sienna Kunze’s] such a baller,” said head coach Joe Ausanio. “She’s not a giant in the box, but she takes a big swing and good things happen when she hits the ball.”
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Stella Blanchard and sophomore pitcher Violet Marta exchanged zeroes over the first three innings. Blanchard showcased an effective rise ball/changeup combination while keeping the Saints out of the air; the Saints grounded out six times and struck out three times. With the help of some stellar defense, Marta induced seven flyouts in the first three frames.
In the bottom of the fourth, Marist began to apply pressure. Freshman utility Livia Wiltsie and junior outfielder Samantha Rogers drilled a single and double, respectively, to place runners on second and third with nobody out. With one out, junior pitcher/outfielder Anna Sidlowski smacked an RBI single to left to open the scoring. Sidlowski has received four starts at designated player since April 24, and has accumulated two multi-hit games and her first collegiate home run in that span.
“Other kids have had their chances and they haven’t quite gotten it done,” said Ausanio. “Anna takes batting practice every day and she has stepped up.”
A delayed steal pushed Sidlowski into scoring position, and freshman first baseman/outfielder Annabelle Geiser took advantage. She laced a single just out of the reach of second baseman Gianna DiMeglio to extend the lead to three. In the nine-hole, Geiser has formed a formidable “double leadoff” pairing with Pusey; Geiser’s .469 on-base percentage leads the team.
After cruising through the first four innings, Blanchard began to fall behind in the count. DiMeglio singled on a 3-1 offering to open the inning and Carlie Venables laid down a bunt single. Freshman first baseman/outfielder Lily Roumelis tried securing the putout at first, but her throw went awry and got stuck in the tarp in right field. DiMeglio was well on her way home, but the ball getting nudged in the tarp sent her back to third.
A four-pitch walk loaded the bases with nobody out for the Saints. A pinch-hit sacrifice fly from senior catcher Ella Milante got Siena on the board, but another Marist miscue in the field brought home another run. With runners on first and second, graduate student infielder Haley Ahr attempted to cut-off the lead runner at third, but a throwing error permitted Siena to get another run closer.
The next batter, junior infielder/outfielder Chloe Cummings, laced a single to center field. With the tying-run trying to score, Pusey delivered an exceptional throw to home plate to pick up an outfield assist and hold the lead; on top of the offensive production, Pusey patrolled center field with precision, running down balls hit in the gap and limiting the Saints from taking extra bases.
Following the outfield assist, senior infielder Emma Petersen stepped up to the plate with the tying and go-ahead runs on base. Petersen, Siena’s leader in home runs (9), runs batted in (36), hits (55) and total bases (94), worked an 11-pitch at-bat with Blanchard, but the redshirt sophomore prevailed. Blanchard dropped a changeup that Petersen swung over the top of for a strikeout, ending the threat.
The Red Foxes acquired some much-needed insurance from none other than Kunze. The sophomore clubbed her 12th home run of the season to give Marist a two-run lead.
After a scoreless inning, Ausanio sent Blanchard back out for the seventh. She proceeded to fire six straight balls, prompting graduate student pitcher Ava Metzger to enter for the save in the middle of an at-bat against freshman catcher Arianna DeCotis. DeCotis singled to bring the go-ahead runner to the plate.
Metzger recorded two outs via a sacrifice bunt and a popup, setting the stage for Petersen with the tying run on second base. Petersen could not be denied a second time, as she roped a ball in the gap to tie the game. Petersen tried advancing to second, but was thrown out by Pusey, her second outfield assist of the game, taking away the opportunity for Siena to take the lead.
“[Defense] is automatic for me,” Pusey said. “I’ve always felt really confident in my softball IQ…I never question anything and I go with my gut, and I think that’s why I am really successful.”
In the bottom of the seventh, Marist ended the game rather quickly. Junior pitcher/outfielder Gracie Goewey entered to hold the lead, but she plunked Ahr to begin the inning. Kunze stepped up next and lined a walk-off double to the fence in right-center field to secure the series win.
The Red Foxes will wrap up the MAAC regular season tomorrow on senior day at Gartland Field. The program will honor Pusey, Ahr, senior catcher Isabella Manory and Metzger.
“What I love is that in a world where the transfer portal is so prominent, I love that I am ending my career with two people that I started with,” Pusey said of Ahr and Manory. “It’s about building a program that treats itself like a family, and I feel like I am graduating with my family.”
First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 2nd. Senior day festivities will commence at 12:45 p.m.
Edited by Hayden Shapiro
Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo
Photo from Stockton Photo
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