FORT COLLINS, Colo. – After posting a disappointing result in its opening game of the day at the Colorado State Spring Tournament against Ball State, the Marist softball team came out in its second game on Friday and shutout Columbia by an 8-0 margin. Versus the preseason MAC favorite Ball State, the Red Foxes fell in a 15-5 run-rule shortened contest before riding junior Paige Lewis' arm to a shutout victory over the streaking Lions, who had won seven of their last 10 games.
While Lewis' (Temecula, Calif.) five-hitter highlighted the Red Foxes' pitching efforts on Friday, Alyssa Zahka (Lexington, Mass.) and Danielle Koltz (Chenango Bridge, N.Y.) led the team's offensive endeavors with five RBIs by Zahka and four hits by Koltz in the combined two games of action.
GAME 1: BALL STATE 15 – MARIST 5 (F/5):
In the first game of the day for Marist, the Red Foxes fell victim to frigid outdoor temperatures and scorching Ball State bats. The Cardinals came in Friday's with the 19th-best scoring offense in the nation at 6.59 runs per games and seventh-most doubles per game with 2.0 a contest. Unfortunately for the Red Foxes, the Cardinals would improve on both of those figures in a game that began with the thermometer reading 25 degrees.
After BSU plated one run in the top of the first inning, Marist responded with two scores in the bottom of the frame when freshman Nicole Cheek (Simi Valley, Calif.) connected on her fifth home run of 2013 and drove in herself and Koltz.
With the score 2-1 in the Red Foxes' favor, the game would be turned upside down in the top of the second inning when the Cardinals sent 13 players to the plate and registered 10 runs.
Marist would cut into Ball State's 11-2 lead with three runs in the bottom of the third on the strength of a Zahka three-run homer.
As quick as the Red Foxes plated three, the Cardinals would respond with three of their own with a combination of two singles, a double, a walk and two Marist errors.
A solo run by Ball State in the fifth inning would close the scoring at 15-5.
For the game, Koltz reached base in all three plate appearances; she was 2-2 with a walk.
Starting pitcher Emily Osterhaus (Suwanee, Ga.) threw a complete five innings and allowed 15 runs (10 earned) on 14 hits and six walks. The senior hurler struck out two BSU batters.
GAME 2: MARIST 8 – COLUMBIA 0:
With just 30 minutes to put game one's outcome behind them, the Marist squad turned to junior pitcher Paige Lewis to shut down the Lions and allow the talented Red Fox lineup to get its confidence back.
After a scoreless first inning, the Red Foxes got on the scoreboard in the top of the second with a single run courtesy of Nicole Cheek. On the first pitch of the inning, the freshman hit a triple down the right field line and into the corner, where the right fielder misplayed the ball and allowed Cheek to come into home safely.
Lewis quickly dispatched of the Lions with 11 pitches and one hit allowed to get her offense back to the plate.
Feeding off of that momentum, Kyrsten Van Natta (Maplewood, N.J.) led off the inning with an infield single to third base. After the freshman was erased with a caught stealing, Koltz would step up to the plate with two outs. The senior captain began a string of three consecutive Red Fox hits as she singled up the middle; Cheek would follow with another single to center field. With two runners on, Zahka drove in both with a double the left field line.
With a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the third, Lewis would retire the Lions over each of the next two innings by allowing just one hit per frame.
Marist broke open the game in the top of the fifth when Zahka hit a grounder to the Columbia second baseman that was misplayed and consequently allowed Maureen Duddy (San Mateo, Calif.) and Koltz to score the Red Foxes' fourth and fifth runs.
Up 5-0, Marist added three more insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning with RBIs by Van Natta (1) and Duddy (2).
Lewis would close out the 8-0 victory and her third personal career shutout with a scoreless bottom of the seventh inning.
For the game, Marist outhit Columbia 10-5 as four Red Foxes, Duddy (2-4), Koltz (2-4), Cheek (2-3) and Zahka (2-4) all registered multiple hits.
Lewis' fourth complete game of the season consisted of seven innings, five hits and one walk allowed on 95 pitches.
With a snowstorm in the area forcing postponements and changes to the tournament schedule the Red Foxes will be off on Saturday before possibly being back in action on Sunday with a single game versus Columbia at 11:00 a.m. EST.
