May 3, 2008
Final Stats
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist softball team took a giant step towards qualifying for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday by winning both games of a doubleheader with Saint Peter's at the Softball Park at Gartland Athletic Field. The Red Foxes won game one 6-2 behind a 3-for-3 day at the plate by senior Pamela de la Llave (West Orange, N.J.), and held on to win game two 5-4.
Marist (21-27, 7-7 MAAC) opened the scoring in the first game when de la Llave hit a solo home run over the right field fence off of starting pitcher Amber Phillips in the bottom of the first inning. After starting pitcher Megan Rigos (Pittsburgh, Pa.) struck out the side in the second, the Red Foxes would put greater distance between themselves and the Peahens.
The bottom half of that inning started with designated player Alanna Woody (Clinton Corners, N.Y.) reaching first base on an error by shortstop Chrissy Gannon. Following a strikeout, Melissa Giordano (Stamford, Conn.) hit an infield single. De la Llave then doubled to deep center field, bringing Woody in to score. Following a groundout, Annie Castellano (Hauppauge, N.Y.) hit a two-rbi double to make the score 4-0.
Saint Peter's had their best threat in the top of the third. Jackie Cross led off the inning with a home run. The Peahens then got the next two runners on base. Those runners would be left stranded as Rigos got a fielder's choice and two pop-outs to get out of the inning ahead 4-1. Marist scored two in the sixth on a Jessica Green (Manassas, Va.) rbi single and and a run-scoring double by Castellano to go ahead 6-1.
The Peahens added one run in the top of the seventh, but that was as much offense as they could muster in game one. Marist won 6-2 behind a complete-game win from Rigos. The senior struck out 10 batters in seven innings, giving up five hits and two walks. Five Red Foxes had at least two hits in the game, with Castellano leading the team with three runs batted in.
Game two started much like game one for Marist. Starting pitcher Caitlin Carpentier (Andover, Mass.) retired the side in order in the top of the first, and the Marist bats started strong in the bottom half of the inning. Giordano and de la Llave hit back-to-back home runs to start the inning, giving the Red Foxes a 2-0 lead. Marist tacked on another run in the second when Giordano hit a run-scoring double to center field, making the score 3-0.
Carpentier was dominant in the circle early for the Red Foxes. The junior retired the first 12 batters she faced, striking out six. The Peahens got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth when Megan Papierniak led off the inning with a home run to center field. Carpentier got out of the inning giving up only that one run, getting two flyouts and a strikeout to keep the lead 3-1. Saint Peter's touched up Carpentier again in the sixth. With one out in the inning, the Peahens got back-to-back long balls from Lizzie Novak and Sam Gable to tie the game at three. Rigos would come into the game for Carpentier and proceeded to get Marist out of the inning by striking out the next two batters.
Marist would take back the lead in the bottom of the sixth. After a groundout, McCallion Campbell (Port Jervis, N.Y.), Woody, and Mary Beth Pomes (Milford, Pa.) each drew walks to load the bases. Giordano then singled to center field to drive in Campbell and make the score 4-3. After de la Llave reached on a fielder's choice that put Woody out at home plate, Green hit an rbi single to center field, putting the Red Foxes ahead 5-3. Saint Peter's closed to within a run to start the seventh inning when Papierniak hit her second home run of the game to make the score 5-4. That would be as close as the Peahens would get, as Rigos then struck out the side to give Marist the sweep.
Carpentier struck out seven batters in five and one-third innings in game two while allowing three home runs. Rigos struck out five of the six batters she faced to get the win. Her record now stands at 16-13 on the season. Giordano went 3-for-4 in game two with three rbi. De la Llave, Green and Castellano each had two hits in the second game. Papierniak went 2-for-3 in game two as Saint Peter's moved to 6-38 on the season and 5-11 in the MAAC.
With Iona splitting a doubleheader at Fairfield, Marist now holds its MAAC Tournament chances in its own hands. The Gaels now stand at 7-9, meaning the Red Foxes will clinch a spot into the tournament with a win over Manhattan tomorrow. The Red Foxes close out the regular season with a senior day home doubleheader against the Lady Jaspers, beginning at 12 p.m. The four seniors on this season's squad will be honored 15 minutes before first pitch tomorrow.
