POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist softball team (28-27) saw its 2012 season come to an end on Friday afternoon at the hands of Canisius (20-29) as the Golden Griffins pieced together four runs on six hits to earn the 4-1 decision over the host Red Foxes in the second day of the MAAC Championship. Sophomore Haley Birnbaum (Lido Beach, N.Y.) led a Red Fox offense that was contained to the tune of four total hits by Canisius' pitching duo of Caroline Main and Jenn Consaul.

After a quiet offensive day on Thursday versus Iona, the Red Foxes looked to get their bats going quickly against the Golden Griffins on Friday in an elimination game. Senior Ashley Corriss (Sayville, N.Y.) led off the bottom of the first for Marist with a five-pitch walk. Following a sacrifice bunt by senior Megan Lamoureux (Woonsocket, R.I.) moved Corriss to second base, the Red Foxes seemed primed to get on the scoreboard first. Unfortunately, Main forced the next two batters into foul fly outs to end the frame.

Realizing her team would need a strong effort in the circle, junior starting pitcher Emily Osterhaus (Suwanee, Ga.) held Canisius without a hit through the first three innings of play.

The Golden Griffins finally solved Osterhaus in the fourth inning as the third-seeded squad manufactured the first run of the game with a combination of a single, an error and a safety squeeze bunt.

With a 1-0 lead, Canisius extended its lead to four runs with three hits and two walks in the top of the fifth.

Down 4-0 going into the bottom of the fifth, Haley Birnbaum led off the Red Foxes' frame with a leadoff home run over the left field wall. With the game within reach at 4-1, three of the next five Marist batters found their way on base as freshman Taylor Kuzma (Freehold, N.J.), Lamoureux and junior Danielle Koltz (Chenango Bridge, N.Y.) loaded the bases with two outs. In her final batter of the game Main once again suppressed a possible big inning by Marist with a ground out.

Sophomore Paige Lewis (Temecula, Calif.) held the Golden Griffins in check over the final 2.2 innings with three strikeouts. This strong pitching allowed the Red Fox offense to try their chances versus Canisius pitching in the sixth and seventh innings down three runs.

The Red Foxes had runners in each of their final two innings as sophomore Aly Klemmer (Hamilton, N.J.) earned 10-pitch walk in the sixth and junior Christina Lausch (Lancaster, Pa.) beat out an infield single in the seventh. In each case, Consaul shut down the Marist offense in the remainder of each frame.

After seven innings of hard-fought action, the Red Foxes saw their 2012 season come to an end with a 4-1 defeat.

The four-woman class of 2012: Ashley Corriss, Nicole DiVirgilio, Lindsay Durant and Megan Lamoureux will exit the program with 87 wins and two trips to the MAAC Championships during their four years as Red Foxes.

With the conclusion of the season, multiple Marist athletes etched their names into the single-season and career record books. ...

Single-Season

Alyssa Zahka ... 40 runs (4^th-highest), 55 hits (9th), 12 doubles (tied-9th)

Ashley Corriss ... 36 runs (8th), 3 triples (tied-9th)

Danielle Koltz ... 54 hits (10th), 8 home runs (tied-7th), 39 RBIs (tied-4^th)

Career

Nicole DiVirgilio ... 42 doubles (2^nd-All-Time), 114 RBIs (3^rd), 569 at bats (4^th), 171 hits (6^th)

Ashley Corriss ... 103 runs (3^rd), 5 triples (tied-7^th)

Megan Lamoureux ... 79 runs (9^th), 13 home runs (tied-8^th)

Danielle Koltz ... 19 home runs (tied-6^th), 78 RBIs (10^th)

Haley Birnbaum ... 13 home runs (tied-8^th)