POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist softball team (22-19, 6-2 MAAC) stayed atop the MAAC standings with a doubleheader sweep of Niagara on Saturday afternoon at the Softball Park at Gartland Field. On the strength of 20 hits and two victories in the circle by junior Emily Osterhaus (Suwanee, Ga.), the Red Foxes won Game One by a score of 10-2 and Game Two, 6-5.
Offensively, sophomore Alyssa Zahka (Lexington, Mass.) led the team with a .571 batting average (4-7), and five RBIs on a pair of doubles, while fellow classmate Haley Birnbaum (Lido Beach, N.Y.) earned her team the walk-off run-rule victory in Game One with a two-run homer to left field.
In the circle, Osterhaus, pitched a complete game in the first contest and then came on relief in Game Two to earn her second victory. For the afternoon, she pitched 7.1 innings, with seven strikeouts and one earned run allowed.
GAME 1, MARIST 10 - NIAGARA 2 (6): In their first game in six days, the Red Foxes didn't show much if any rust in the first inning as both their hitting and pitching came through with strong efforts. In the top of the frame, Osterhaus struck out the side, as two Purple Eagles went down swinging and the third down looking. On cue, the offense came out in the bottom half of the first and manufactured two runs on a combination of three singles, a hit by pitch and a walk. Zahka drove in senior Ashley Corriss (Sayville, N.Y.) for the first run, while sophomore Aly Klemmer (Hamilton, N.J.) drove in junior Danielle Koltz (Chenango Bridge, N.Y.) for the second.
Niagara would evenutally even the score two innings later, in the top of the third.
Beginning in the bottom of the fourth inning, Marist would start an 8-0 run over its next three at bats, that would lead to the run-rule shortened game.
The scoring in the fourth began with two outs, as freshman Taylor Kuzma (Freehold, N.J.) reached with a hit by pitch. Following a single by Corriss, senior catcher Megan Lamoureux (Woonsocket, R.I.) lined a double to the wall in right-center field to drive in the two base-runners and give Marist a 4-2 lead.
In the fifth, a perfectly placed, squeeze bunt by Birnbaum caught nearly everyone off guard and allowed pinch runner Nicole Van Loan (Kingston, N.Y.) to scamper in for the fifth run of the ball game.
Up 5-2, Marist would plate five runs in the bottom of the sixth to give itself the eight run lead necessary to end play. Senior Nicole DiVirgilio (Aston, Pa.) drove in the first two runs as she plated Corriss and Lamoureux on a two RBI double to right-center. The first baseman would be driven in two pitches later on a double to left-center by Zahka to make the contest, 8-2. With two outs and Zahka on base, Birnbaum took a Bri Allen offering deep over the left field wall for her third home run of 2012.
For the game, all nine starters in the batting order reached base, and eight of the nine had hits. Zahka led the team with three hits, while Birnbaum, DiVirgilio and Lamoureux each added two. Every member of this quartet also registered multiple RBIs, as Birnbaum had three, Zahka two, DiVirgilio two and Lamoureux two. As a team Marist outhit Niagara 13 to four.
In the circle, Osterhaus earned the complete game victory with seven strikeouts and one earned run allowed in six innings pitched.
GAME 2, MARIST 6 - NIAGARA 5: In the second game, the offense was a little slower building for Marist, but nonetheless, the Red Foxes would take the first lead of the game with a solo run in the bottom of the second inning. Following a leadoff single by Klemmer, junior Christina Lausch (Lancaster, Pa.) would hit a double to center field to place two runners in scoring position. The next batter, Kuzma, would take advantage of this opportunity and loft a deep fly ball to right field that would score Klemmer for run number one.
In the next inning, Marist would extend its lead to two runs on the strength of a Lamoureux lead off double to right-center field. Three batters later, she would come in to score on an RBI ground out by Zahka.
Similar to Game One, Niagara rally back to even the score at 2-2. In Game Two, the Purple Eagles plated two runs in the top of the fourth.
Niagara would eventually take the lead in the fifth as the middle of their batting order came through with the manufacturing of a run.
Down 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Marist would score two runs on one hit, as Zahka singled up the middle to score Corriss and pinch runner Janine Lalli (Eastchester, N.Y.) and give the Red Foxes a 4-3 lead.
The back-and-forth action continued in the next frame, as Niagara answered back with an unearned run to tie the game.
With the score 4-4, it was the Red Foxes' turn to answer back and they did just that in the bottom of the sixth. The number eight and nine hitters, Lausch and Kuzma would be the facilitators in this frame as they would go back-to-back with a single and a double to begin the inning, respectively. With two on and no one out, Lausch would score the go-ahead run via a sacrifice fly by Corriss to right field. It wouldn't be long before Kuzma touched home as the next batter Lamoureux laid down a squeeze bunt towards third base, that allowed the speedy freshman to score without a throw.
This final run would be important as the Purple Eagles pushed one run across in the top of the seventh to make the score final at 6-5.
For the game, Marist and Niagara tied with seven hits a piece. Lausch led Marist with a 2-3 showing at the plate. Zahka led the Red Foxes with three RBIs. Six different Red Foxes scored runs in Game Two.
In the circle, starting pitcher Paige Lewis (Temecula, Calif.) received a no-decision as she went 4.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts before giving way to freshman Melanie White (Highlands Ranch, Colo.). White retired four batters in the fifth and sixth innings, two via strikeouts before Osterhaus completed the game and earned the victory with 1.1 innings pitched. The junior hurler moves to 8-5 on the season and has now won five straight decisions.
Marist will be back in action on Thursday, April 26 as they travel to Lafayette for a non-conference doubleheader. The first pitch of Game One is slated for 3 p.m.
