NEW
HAVEN, Conn. - After eight days of
competition in Hawai'i over Spring Break, the Marist softball got back into mainland
non-conference action on Wednesday afternoon with a twinbill in New Haven
versus Yale University. Though two seven inning contests were scheduled, in
each case the Bulldogs and Red Foxes were forced to decide a victor after
regulation. In Game One, Yale won 3-2 in nine innings, while Marist was
victorious in Game Two by a score of 5-2 in eight innings. The Red Foxes were
led by strong pitching efforts by starters Melanie White (Highlands Ranch,
Colo.) and Janine Lalli (Eastchester, N.Y.) and a five for seven showing at the
plate by senior Megan Lamoureux (Woonsocket, R.I.).
YALE
3 - MARIST 2 (9 innings, Game 1):
The Red Foxes began the first game of the doubleheader with offensive
vigor as they loaded the bases in the first inning, though Yale's starting
pitcher Chelsey Dunham had other ideas and left the trio stranded.
Likewise, the Bulldogs manufactured a scoring opportunity in the
bottom of the frame. With two runners on base, Christy Nelson drove in the game's
first run with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Marist would eventually break through on the scoreboard in the
third inning with a pair of runs. Senior Ashley Corriss (Sayville, N.Y.) led
off the inning with a hit by pitch. Following an Alyssa Zahka (Lexington,
Mass.) single and subsequent stolen base, the Red Foxes had runners on second
and third base with Haley Birnbaum (Lido Beach, N.Y.) at the plate. The
sophomore second baseman drove in both runners with a single to left field.
A fourth-inning run by Yale, tied the game up at 2-2.
From this point on, Melanie White would be in complete control in
the circle as she held the host Bulldogs hitless in three of the next four
innings with a bunt single in the fifth her only blemish.
Marist had their opportunities to pull ahead twice in the final
five innings, as twice they had multi-hits and twice had runners reach third
base. Their best chance was in the seventh inning when Corriss flew out to
right field and Janine Lalli attempted to tag up from third base. A strong
throw to the plate just barely got Lalli for the out and put an end to Marist's
threat.
The stalemate was eventually broken by Yale in the bottom of the
ninth inning when Hannah Brennan lined a double just inside the right field
foul line to score Meg Johnson for the 3-2 walk-off win.
As a team, Marist outhit Yale at 7-5. Lamoureux, Zahka and
Birnbaum tied for the team lead with two hits a piece.
In the circle, White was hard luck loser for Marist as she went
8.2 innings with one earned run and four strike outs. This was White's seventh
complete game in seven starts.
MARIST
5 - YALE 2 (8 innings, Game 2):
Similar to the first game, Marist's offense put pressure on Yale
in its first inning. Ashley Corriss led off the inning and game with a single
to right field. Megan Lamoureux followed her with an infield single to put
runners on first and second. Corriss advanced to third base on a tag up and put
herself in position to score on Nicole DiVirgilio's (Aston, Pa.) RBI groundout
in the next at bat.
The Red Foxes continued to hold a 1-0 lead on the strength of
masterful pitching by Lalli, who retired the first nine Bulldogs of the game;
the majority, six, by ground outs. Jennifer Ong got Yale's first hit in the
bottom of the fourth inning.
Marist put a second run on the scoreboard in the fifth inning with
a two-out rally. Corriss once again played a pivotal role in run production with
a single. The next batter, Lamoureux drove her in in quick order with a double
to right-center field.
Down 2-0, the Bulldogs finally got to Lalli with a pair of hits
and runs in the bottom of the fifth.
The final two innings of regulation would come and go with just
one lone hit, a two-out single by junior Danielle Koltz (Chenango Bridge, N.Y.)
in the sixth.
In the eighth inning, Marist would blow the 2-2 game wide open by
pushing three runs across the plate. Lamoureux got the offensive action started
with a leadoff single to left field. Two batters later, DiVirgilio picked up
her third RBI of the game with a two-run home run out to right field. This was
the 10th career round-tripper for the senior first baseman and gave her 99 career RBIs, the third-most in program history.
A series
of singles by Haley Birnbaum and Koltz kept the offense going and set up the
Red Foxes' third run of the inning with an RBI ground out by junior Sarah
Carmody (Camarillo, Calif.).
In the bottom of the inning, junior Emily Osterhaus (Suwanee, Ga.)
was called on from the bullpen to close out the win and she did just that with
a pair of swinging strikeouts.
After eight innings and 17 in total on the day, the Red Foxes had
earned the Game Two victory by a score of 5-2.
For the second consecutive game, Marist outshot Yale, this time at
10 to four. Lamoureux led a trio of Red Foxes with multiple hits with a
game-high three base knocks. Corriss and Koltz with two hits each were the
other two Red Foxes.
In the circle, Lalli earned her fourth win of 2012 with seven
innings of three-hit softball. She allowed just two earned runs, while striking
out two. Osterhaus' successful eighth inning earned her the save, the second of
her career and first since May 4, 2010.
The Red Foxes' 25-game opening season road swing will come to an
end on Saturday, March 24 with a twinbill at Holy Cross. The first pitch of
Game One is slated for 1 p.m.
