May 10, 2009
Box Score
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist baseball team dropped the finale of its three-game Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference series against Niagara on Sunday, suffering a 5-4 loss at McCann Baseball Field. With the loss, the Red Foxes are 25-25 overall and 12-9 in the MAAC with three games remaining.
Niagara opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the second, aided by a pair of Marist errors. An infield single by second baseman Brian Deering scored shortstop Jason Cramer, who had tripled to lead off the inning. The Purple Eagles ran the score to 3-0 on a two-run single by left fielder Matt Wietlispach.
The Red Foxes started a two-out rally in the third on a double to the right-center gap by junior first baseman Ryan Gauck (Clifton Park, N.Y.), which was followed by a home run to left-center by senior catcher Andrew Stanton (Delmar, N.Y.) that made the score 3-2. The Red Foxes tied the score at three apiece in the third on another two-out rally as freshman center fielder Jon Schwind (Hilton, N.Y.) singled, advanced to third on a throwing error on a pickoff play, and scored on a single by sophomore third baseman Ricky Pacione (Newburgh, N.Y.).
An RBI single by Wietlispach in the fourth put Niagara up 4-3, and his RBI double in the sixth put the Purple Eagles up 5-3.
In the bottom of the eighth with the score still 5-3 in favor of the Purple Eagles, the Red Foxes had runners on second and third with two outs, but Niagara closer Adam Wagner got a fly out to end the inning.
The Red Foxes made one final charge in the ninth. Junior shortstop Richard Curylo (Staten Island, N.Y.) led off with a double to the gap in left-center, and Schwind followed with a bunt single to put runners at the corners. Pacione followed with a line drive that went off Wagner's arm, bringing home Schwind and putting runners on first and second with no outs and the Red Foxes trailing 5-4. However, Wagner recovered to get a double play and a strikeout to close the game, stranding the tying run at third base.
Niagara senior left-hander Michael Kellar earned the win, improving to 6-3 on the season. Kellar went the first 7.1 innings, allowing eight hits and three walks while striking out four. Two of the three runs he permitted were earned. Wagner recorded the final four outs for his fifth save.
Junior right-hander B.J. Martin (Manalapan, N.J.) took the loss for Marist, falling to 4-5. Martin also went 7.1 innings, giving up 10 hits, three walks and five runs, four of which were earned. Senior right-hander Jacob Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) got the final five outs for the Red Foxes, giving up a pair of hits and striking out one.
Curylo, Schwind, Pacione and Gauck each had two hits apiece for Marist, with Pacione and Stanton having two RBIs apiece. Wietlispach went 3-for-5 with four RBIs for Niagara, and Deering went 3-for-4.
Marist closes out the 2009 regular season this coming weekend against Fairfield. The Red Foxes and Stags will play a single game on Friday at 3 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday at noon. Marist will hold its annual Senior Day Festivities prior to Saturday's doubleheader.
The Red Foxes are currently in fourth place in the MAAC. They trail third-place Canisius by one game, and are ahead of fifth-place Rider by one game and sixth-place Fairfield by two games. Marist holds tiebreakers over both teams. The top four teams in the conference qualify for the MAAC Tournament, which will be held May 21-23 at Waterfront Park in Trenton, N.J.
