POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - In the home opener for the Red Foxes on Sunday afternoon, strong pitching and timely hitting gave the hosts a 3-1 victory in Game One over St. John's. In the second game of the doubleheader, the Red Storm won an offensive battle by a final score of 9-7. For the second consecutive day, junior Danielle Koltz (Chenango Bridge, N.Y.) led Marist's offensive efforts. The third baseman combined to go 3-6 with three extra-base hits, including two home runs. In the circle, Janine Lalli (Eastchester, N.Y.) earned the complete game victory with just one run allowed over seven innings pitched.

Game One: Marist 3 - St. John's 1: Pitching was the name of the game in the Red Foxes' first home game at the Softball Park at Gartland Field following 25 road contests to begin the year.

After strong starting pitching registered two scoreless frames for each team, St. John's manufactured a run in the top of the third with a string of singles.

Marist attempted its first comeback in the following at bat in the bottom of the third. Number Eight hitter Sarah Carmody (Camarillo, Calif.) and Number Nine hitter Christina Lausch (Lancaster, Pa.) each reached base with singles off of St. John's pitching ace Ashley Beza. Carmody would eventually advance to third on a fielder's choice by Megan Lamoureux (Woonsocket, R.I.). In an unfortunate break for the Red Foxes, a would-be wild pitch by Beza that set Carmody in motion towards home ricocheted back to St. John's catcher, who tossed the ball to a covering Beza, who applied the tag to Carmody for the third out in the inning.

After four innings and just two hits, the Red Foxes finally touched up Beza on the scoreboard. Aly Klemmer (Hamilton, N.J.) lead off the fifth inning with a double down the right field line. The sophomore right fielder would come in to score two batters later with on a home run over the center field wall by Lausch. This was Lausch's second career home run and first since April 20, 2010.

In the sixth inning, starting pitcher Janine Lalli set the Red Storm down 1-2-3 and allowed her offense to get back to the plate in short order. Danielle Koltz was the main beneficiary of this momentum as she launched a long home run over the left field wall for the Red Foxes' third run of the game.

Lalli would retire the Red Storm in the seventh inning to earn the 3-1 win. This was her sixth frame with one or fewer runners allowed on base. With the win, she improves to 5-1 on the year for the Red Foxes. Lalli's final line was seven innings pitched, three strikeouts and one earned run.

Marist finished with six hits, including a team-best two by Lausch.

Game Two: St. John's 9 - Marist 6: As pitching was the story in Game One, offense and lots of it highlighted Game Two.

After being held to one run in the first half of the doubleheader, the Red Storm jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three innings.

The Red Foxes chipped away on that deficit with a three-run bottom of the fourth. With one out, Nicole DiVirgilio (Aston, Pa.) kick started the rally with a double to the base of the right field wall. Following two walks, Klemmer doubled down the left field line to drive in DiVirgilio and Koltz. The third run was driven in by Lausch, who grounded out to third base.

After St. John's pushed across its seventh run in the top of the fifth, Marist came back and plated a trio of runs in bottom half of the inning. The top of the order manufactured this scoring opportunity as freshman leadoff hitter Taylor Kuzma (Freehold, N.J.) and Lamoureux registered back-to-back singles. Following two outs, Koltz came to bat and blasted a mammoth three-run home run, that touched down well over 50 feet past the left field fence. This home run was the 15th of Koltz' career; a total that gives her sole possession of seventh place all-time in school history.

With the game at 7-6, St. John's notched the final runs of the game in the top of the sixth on a two-run home run by Kacee Cox.

Game One starter Ashley Beza came in for the Red Storm in relief and closed down Marist for the save in the 9-6 ball game.

Marist was outhit in the final game 12-8. Kuzma, Koltz and Klemmer each had a team-high two hits.

Freshman Melanie White (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) gave the Red Foxes four innings out of the bullpen in relief of junior starter Emily Osterhaus (Suwanee, Ga.).

The Red Foxes will be back in action on Wednesday, March 28 at Hartford. Game One of the twinbill begins at 2:30.