MERION STATION, Pa. - The Marist baseball team defeated Saint Joseph's by a score of 6-4 on Friday afternoon.

Senior right-hander Chris Bielak (Sayreville, N.J.) earned the win on the mound. Bielak, who started and went 6.2 innings with four strikeouts, improved to 3-1. Junior right-hander Kevin McCarthy (Malverne, N.Y.) earned a save in his first relief appearance of the season. McCarthy struck out three in the final 2.1 innings, and allowed just two hits.

The Red Foxes had 10 hits in the contest, including two each by senior shortstop Zach Shank (Lititz, Pa.), senior first baseman Mike Orefice (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) and junior second baseman Nick McQuail (Wantagh, N.Y.). Shank scored three runs, and Orefice drove in two. Junior designated hitter Zachary Passerelle (Sparta, N.J.) also drove in two runs.

Marist scored in its first at-bat, as Orefice's single brought in freshman center fielder Matt Pagano (Cranston, R.I.), who led off the game with a walk. After Saint Joseph's tied the game in the second, Marist took a 3-1 lead in the third. Shank led off the inning with a single, and Orefice followed with an RBI double. Orefice later came around to score on a wild pitch.

Saint Joseph's scored once in the third, and then twice in the fourth to grab a 4-3 lead. However, the Red Foxes re-claimed the lead for good on a two-run double by Passerelle in the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, McCarthy relieved Bielak with two outs, the tying run on the third and the go-ahead run on first. McCarthy struck out right fielder Greg Kumpel to end the inning. The Red Foxes then added an insurance run in the eighth when Shank reached on a two-out single, stole second and scored on an RBI double by McQuail.

For Saint Joseph's, left fielder Chris Hueth went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Second baseman Quinn Renner drove in three runs, and had a two-run double in the fourth. Kyle Mullen (2-3), who went the first 6.1 innings for the Hawks, took the loss.

Marist improved to 5-7; Saint Joseph's fell to 5-11.

The Red Foxes continue their weekend in Philadelphia on Saturday, when they face Villanova (4-11). First pitch is scheduled for 1:15 p.m.

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