POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- The Marist baseball team won its third straight game on Tuesday, as the Red Foxes defeated Albany 10-8 at McCann Baseball Field in a non-conference game.
Junior shortstop Zach Shank (Lititz, Pa.) and junior first baseman Mike Orefice (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) each scored three runs. Shank went 3-for-3 and added an RBI. Senior left fielder Eric Helmrich (Yonkers, N.Y.) had four RBIs. Freshman second baseman Alec Petrone (Mahopac, N.Y.) went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and sophomore right fielder Jake Berry (South Hamilton, Mass.) scored two runs. In all, the Red Foxes had 11 hits, and eight different starters had at least one.
Freshman right-hander Brandon Dolan (Franklin Park, N.J.) earned the win, allowing just one run in two hits over four innings while striking out two. Dolan is now 3-2 this season. Dolan made his first career start, and qualified for the win as it was pre-determined that he would go less than five innings. The Red Foxes used a total of six pitchers in the game, including freshman right-hander Evan Davis (Little Falls, N.Y.), who tossed a scoreless fifth.
Marist jumped out to an early lead as the Red Foxes led 2-0 after one inning, 6-0 after two, and 10-1 after five. In the first two innings, the Red Foxes banged out six hits and were aided by Albany committing three errors, hitting two batters and throwing two wild pitches. Marist also scored four runs without the benefit of an RBI.
Albany (8-21-1) chipped away at Marist's lead by scoring four runs in the sixth, one in the seventh and two in the ninth. The Great Danes brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the ninth, but senior right-hander Jake Rifkin (West Deptford, N.J.) retired D.J. Hoagboon on a fielder's choice. On the play, Shank ranged far to his left on a ground ball and flipped it to Petrone covering second to end the game.
First baseman Josh Nethaway, center fielder Nolan Gaige and second baseman Joey Tracy each had two hits for Albany, which also had 11 as a team. Nethaway drove in three runs, and Tracy scored three. Albany starter Kevin Archbold (0-2), who went the first 1.1 innings, took the loss.
Marist (10-16) will return to action on Wednesday, when the Red Foxes travel to Stony Brook for another non-conference contest. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
