EASTON, Pa. - On Thursday afternoon the Marist softball team (24-19) turned in its highest-scoring doubleheader of 2012 with 17 runs at Lafayette. The Red Foxes also had their highest-scoring single game performance of the season with 13 runs in Game Two. With a combined 22 hits, eight of the extra-base variety, Marist won Game One 4-1 and Game Two 13-5.
Senior Megan Lamoureux (Woonsocket, R.I.) with five hits and sophomore Alyssa Zahka (Lexington, Mass.) with five RBIs led the explosive offense. Sophomores Haley Birnbaum (Lido Beach, N.Y.) and Aly Klemmer (Hamilton, N.J.) each added home runs for the Red Foxes.
In the circle, freshman Melanie White (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and sophomore Paige Lewis (Temecula, Calif.) earned victories, while junior Emily Osterhaus (Suwanee, Ga.) got the Game One save.
GAME ONE, MARIST 4 - LAFAYETTE 1: The Red Foxes won the opening game of the doubleheader with a consistent offensive effort, as in each and every inning, they had at least one batter reach base. In keeping with the consistent theme, Marist scored its four runs in four separate innings.
In the first inning, leadoff hitter Ashley Corriss (Sayville, N.Y.) came around to score on a single by Lamoureux to left field and an ensuing error by the left-fielder for the first run of the game.
They extended their lead to two runs in the fourth inning with the combination of a leadoff double by Klemmer and an RBI sacrifice bunt by junior Christina Lausch (Lancaster, Pa.).
A Lamoureux single and subsequent double by junior Danielle Koltz (Chenango Bridge, N.Y.) in the fifth inning and a leadoff home run by Birnbaum in the sixth capped Marist's Game One scoring at four.
Following five scoreless innings, the host Leopards finally were able to scratch a run across versus White in the bottom of the sixth inning.
With the game at 4-1, Osterhaus came out of the bullpen to relieve White and set down Lafayette in the seventh inning for her third save of the season.
White earned her fifth win of 2012 with the six inning, one run start.
GAME TWO, MARIST 13 - LAFAYETTE 5: After a mild, but effective offensive performance in the opening game of the twinbill the Red Fox bats came alive with a season-high 16 hits in Game Two.
Following a tough bottom of the first inning set Marist back by a score of 4-0, the Red Foxes sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the third on their way to a five run frame. After two of their first three batters were retired, a single by Lamoureux set the wheels in motion of the rally. Subsequent singles by Koltz and Zahka drove in three runs before Klemmer cleared the bases with a two-run blast down the right field line.
With a 5-4 lead, Marist increased its lead by one in the fifth inning courtesy of an RBI single by Birnbaum, who drove in Zahka.
The offense's momentum continue in the sixth and seventh inning as the Red Foxes scored seven combined runs to push their lead to nine at 13-4. Zahka drove in two of the three runs in the sixth with a double to left-center field. In the seventh, two early outs failed to contain Marist as the Red Foxes hit three doubles and two singles to the tune of four runs. Lamoureux, Zahka and Birnbaum registered RBIs.
A late Lafayette run in the bottom of the seventh closed the scoring at 13-5.
For the game, Marist outhit Lafayette, 16-9 and had 22 of its runners reach base. Every one of its starters had either a hit or base on balls. Zahka led a trio of Red Foxes with three hits; Lamoureux and Birnbaum joined her. Zahka's final line was even more notably, as she scored four runs and drove in five. Both totals were individual season highs for Marist.
Lewis earned her third win of the season with a complete game, three earned run effort. The sophomore struck out four Leopards in the victory.
Marist will get back to MAAC action this weekend when they welcome Canisius and Manhattan in back-to-back doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Both twinbills are slated for noon starts.
Of note, Marist's four student-athlete senior class of Ashley Corriss, Nicole DiVirgilio (Aston, Pa.), Lindsay Durant (Martinsville, N.J.) and Megan Lamoureux will be honored in a ceremony prior to Game One on Saturday.
