FAIRFAX,
Va. - The Red Foxes closed out the final day of action at the Patriot
Classic with a pair of tight losses on Sunday. In Game 1, Marist fell to Akron
5-3, while they lost to George Mason 9-8 in the second matchup. Junior Sarah
Carmody (Camarillo, Calif.) with three RBIs and senior Nicole DiVirgilio (Aston,
Pa.) with three hits highlighted the Red Foxes' offensive effort.
AKRON
5 - MARIST 3: In the first game of the day, the Red Foxes came out with three
runs in their first two innings versus Akron. Senior Ashley Corriss (Sayville,
N.Y.) began the contest with a single to left-center field. Two batters later,
she crossed the plate as junior Danielle Koltz (Chenango Bridge, N.Y.) drove a
triple to the center field fence. In the second inning, junior Christina Lausch
(Lancaster, Pa.) led the offense when she drove in sophomores Aly Klemmer
(Hamilton, N.J.) and Haley Birnbaum (Lido Beach, N.Y.).
The Red Foxes' three runs were answered with single runs by the
Zips in the first and second inning and a pair in the third.
Down 4-3 after three innings, Marist was held hitless over the
final four innings to fall by a final score of 5-3.
Freshman Melanie White (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) got the start for
the Red Foxes and pitched a completed game, striking out three Zips in six
innings pitched.
GEORGE
MASON 9 - MARIST 8: Following a quiet offensive game versus Akron, the Red Foxes
registered nine hits and eight runs versus George Mason in their 1:30 p.m.
matchup. Unfortunately for them, the host Patriots would be one run better for
a 9-8 victory.
Sophomore Alyssa Zahka (Lexington, Mass.) got the scoring started
for Marist in the top of the first inning when she singled to right field to
drive in Ashley Corriss. The Patriots
quickly responded with offense of their own in the bottom of the inning to the
tune of four runs.
A single run by the Patriots in the bottom of the third inning
stretched the host's lead to 5-1.
Each side pushed across runs in the fifth inning to make the game
6-2. Christina Lausch engineered the Red Foxes' run with a leadoff double
before coming around on a Corriss ground out.
Faced with a four run deficit and just two innings left, Marist
batted around in the sixth inning on its way to scoring six runs. For the
second consecutive inning a double led off the action, this time it was Zahka
touching up the Patriots' pitching staff. With the bases loaded, junior Joelle
Zahka (Lexington, Mass.) started off the driving in of runs as she drew a walk
to force in her sister Alyssa from third base. Corriss was the next Red Fox to
earn a RBI via the walk as DiVirgilio came in from third base. Sarah Carmody
moved the scoring along much quicker when she cleared the bases with a double
to right-center field. Danielle Koltz completed the scoring when she drove in
Carmody.
George Mason countered the big half inning of Marist with a single
run in its turn in the sixth to make the score 8-7.
The Red Foxes looked for an insurance run in their final at bat
and nearly had it as Lausch singled to right field before a perfect throw from
George Mason's right fielder picked off pinch-runner Taylor Kuzma (Freehold,
N.J.) at the plate.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Patriots manufactured two runs
to earn the walk-off victory over Marist by a score of 9-8.
Offensively in game two, Marist was led by multi-hit efforts from
Carmody, Alyssa Zahka, DiVirgilio and Lausch. Carmody tied a career-high with
three RBIs.
The Red Foxes will continue their non-conference play next weekend
when they travel to Hawaii to participate in the Malhini Kipa Aloha Tournament
at the University of Hawaii. Beginning on Friday, March 9, they'll face off in
a pair of games versus Southern Illinois and Hawaii.
