HONOLULU  - The Marist softball team had their best day of performances to date in the Chevron Hawai'i Spring Fling Tournament on Friday with two outstanding games, first versus the #1/#2 California Golden Bears and second versus Winthrop. In game one, the Red Foxes went toe-to-toe with the top ranked Golden Bears and their star-laden roster before falling 1-0. In game two, Marist manufactured runs in three consecutive innings in the win in walk-off fashion over Winthrop, 3-2.

Freshmen Melanie White (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and Janine Lalli (Eastchester, N.Y.) led the Red Foxes in the circle with back-to-back complete games. Offensively, sophomore Alyssa Zahka (Lexington, Mass.) reached base safely in all seven of her plate appearances, with four hits and three walks.

#1/#2 CALIFORNIA 1 - MARIST 0: Coming in with a 24-1 record and three players on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year watch list the Golden Bears were the highest ranked team that Marist had ever met on the diamond in regular season action. After tough battles versus #6 Texas, #18 Hawai'i and #22 Texas A&M earlier in the Tournament, the Red Foxes were more than up to the task on Friday against California, who sits atop the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Poll.

Looking for revenge following their first lost of the year on Thursday night, California started their preseason All-American and USA Softball national team member Valerie Arioto in the circle. Accolades aside, the Red Foxes were unfazed and got to business early in the game as Zahka lined a double to right center in the top of the first inning to become the first of three Red Foxes to collect hits in the first four frames.

Janine Lalli was the next Red Fox to touch up Arioto as she singled through the right side of the infield in the top of the third inning. After advancing to second base, she was erased with a double play to quell any scoring opportunity for Marist.  

California scored the game's lone run in the bottom of the third inning after Frani Echavarria led off with a single. Following a stolen base by the centerfielder put her in scoring position, designated player Britt Vonk drove Echavarria with a single. This was the first of only two innings in which the Golden Bears got to Marist starting pitcher Melanie White for multiple hits.

Marist continued pecking away at the vaunted California pitcher Arioto with a Zahka lead-off single in the top of the fourth and a walk drawn by sophomore Aly Klemmer (Hamilton, N.J.).

Arioto would see here day end in the circle after the fourth inning when head coach Diane Ninemire called on 2011 Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year, Jolene Henderson to hold onto the slim 1-0 lead.

The pitcher may have changed, but the Red Fox offense continued manufacturing quality scoring opportunities with lead-off hits in each of fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Junior Christina Lausch (Lancaster, Pa.) reached with singles in the fifth and seventh innings, while Zahka doubled in Marist's sixth frame. In each of the innings, the Red Foxes had runners reach second base, unfortunately; Henderson flashed her award-winning pedigree with six strikeouts that kept Marist off the scoreboard.

With the Golden Bears' single run in the third holding on as the game-winner, White was the hard luck loser with a final line of 6.0 innings pitched, four strikeouts and five hits allowed.

For the game, Zahka went 3-3 with a pair of doubles. Lausch joined her with multiple hits as she went 2-3. As a team, Marist outhit California 6-5.

MARIST 3 - WINTHROP 2: After an excellent showing in the day's first game, Marist carried over its "can do" attitude versus the Eagles. This approach would come through in the clutch as the Red Foxes would earn an extra inning 3-2 victory with single runs in each of their final three innings.

In her fourth start of the year, Janine Lalli would put forth a workman-like effort as she held the Eagles (11-13) to just two runs (one earned), while scattering seven hits and three walks over her eight innings pitched.

Offensively, Marist had runners on base in each of its first three innings, including senior Ashley Corriss (Sayville, N.Y.), who had a first inning single and a third inning triple. In each case, Winthrop was able to keep the Red Foxes off of the scoreboard.

Down 1-0 after a fourth inning Winthrop run, Marist evened it up when junior Danielle Koltz (Chenango Bridge, N.Y.) singled to center field to drive in pinch runner Emily Osterhaus (Suwanee, Ga.), who was running for junior Sarah Carmody (Camarillo, Calif.).

The teams exchanged runs in the seventh inning, with senior Megan Lamoureux (Woonsocket, R.I.) leading the charge for Marist in the bottom of the frame with a single. Sophomore Nicole Van Loan (Kingston, N.Y.) was then inserted for Lamoureux on the base paths in a move that would pay dividends. With two outs, Van Loan sped home from second base on a single by Carmody to center field to tie the game at 2-2.

After Marist and Lalli kept Winthrop from scoring in the top of the eighth inning, the Red Foxes would win in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the frame. Using the international tie-breaker (the last batter of the previous inning begins on second base), pinch runner Haley Birnbaum (Lido Beach, N.Y.) would eventually come in from third base as the game-winning run after freshman Taylor Kuzma's (Freehold, N.J.) hard hit ball to the shortstop would be misplayed.

In their 3-2, extra inning win, six Red Foxes collected hits with Corriss leading the way with her two early inning base knocks. Alyssa Zahka reached base in all four of her plate appearances as she went 1-1 with three walks drawn.

The Red Foxes will close play at the Chevron Spring Fling Tournament on Saturday afternoon with a 5:00 p.m. EST rematch versus  #22 Texas A&M.