WORCESTER, Mass. - After a stellar offensive showing in Game One led the Red Foxes to a 12-3 win over Holy Cross, strong pitching by the Crusaders' Julia Barrett kept Marist off-balanced in Game Two in the Red Foxes' 6-3 defeat. Junior Danielle Koltz (Chenango Bridge, N.Y.) led the squad with a 4-7 showing at the plate and two RBIs. In the circle, junior Emily Osterhaus (Suwanee, Ga.) collected the win in Game One, while freshman Janine Lalli (Eastchester, N.Y.) earned the three-inning save.
Game One: Marist 12 - Holy Cross 3 - Offense was the name of Game One as the Red Foxes scored runs in six of the seven innings, including back-to-back three-run frames in the first and second.
Nicole DiVirgilio (Aston, Pa.) spearheaded the early offensive fireworks, as she drove in three runs in her first two at bats. Following a sacrifice fly drove in Megan Lamoureux (Woonsocket, R.I.) for her 100th career RBI in the first inning, the senior first baseman drove in two runs with a two-out double in the second.
Sophomore Alyssa Zahka (Lexington, Mass.) earned the team's fourth RBI of the opening stanzas with a first inning single that scored leadoff hitter Ashley Corriss (Sayville, N.Y.).
Up 6-2 after two innings, sophomore Aly Klemmer (Hamilton, N.J.) extended the Red Foxes' lead to 7-2 with a home run over the right field fence.
Both teams went quitely in the fourth inning. Emily Osterhaus played a significant role in Holy Cross' 3-up 3-down frame, as she set the Crusadors down with three strikeouts.
Marist's eighth run came across in the fifth inning on an RBI groundout by Klemmer, that scored Danielle Koltz.
Following a fifth-inning Crusader run that brought the score to 8-3, the Red Foxes would plate two runs in each of the final two innings. Runs in the sixth were plated by Lamoureux on a triple and a sacrifice fly by Zahka. In the seventh inning, junior Christina Lausch (Lancaster, Pa.) drove in junior Joelle Zahka (Lexington, Mass.). Freshman Taylor Kuzma (Freehold, N.J.) scored the game's final run by an error by the left fielder.
For her four innings of five strikeout, two-run ball, Osterhaus earned the victory to even her 2012 record at 3-3. Freshman Janine Lalli (Eastchester, N.Y.) was credited with a three-inning save for her one hit, one run performance.
As a team, Marist finished with 14 hits and every player, who registered an official at bat had at least one base knock. Lausch, Koltz and Kuzma each had two hits. Amongst run producers, DiVirgilio led a trio of Red Foxes with multiple RBIs, with a team-high three; Alyssa Zahka and Klemmer were the others.
Game Two: Holy Cross 6 - Marist 3 - The Red Foxes continued their success on the offensive side of the ball early on before the Crusaders pieced together three two-run innings to earn the doubleheader split.
Marist jumped out to a 2-0 in the first inning as Koltz drove in Corriss and Alyssa Zahka with a double to left field.
Over the next three innings, Holy Cross' ace pitcher Julia Barrett would set the Red Foxes down, 9-up 9-down. During this span, the Crusaders would push four runs across to take their first lead of the day.
Down 4-2 after four innings, Joelle Zahka drove in the Red Foxes' third run of the game with a double to the right-center field gap to score Klemmer.
Marist had a quality scoring opportunity in the top of the sixth inning as it placed two runners in scoring position with just one out on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, Koltz and Lausch were stranded by Barrett and the Crusaders, as the hosts held strong at 4-3.
Two sixth-inning runs by Holy Cross capped the scoring of Game Two at 6-3.
For the game, Marist scored its three runs on five hits. Koltz was the lone Red Fox with two hits.
In relief, Melanie White went 4.0 innings with 2 earned runs and 3 strikeouts
The Red Foxes kick off home action with a doubleheader versus St. John's on Sunday, March 25. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
