AMHERST, Massachusetts – The Marist softball team split a non-conference doubleheader at Massachusetts of the Atlantic 10 Conference on Thursday. In game one, the Red Foxes prevailed by a score of 11-1 in a game shortened to six innings by the mercy rule. Although Marist tied the score in its final at bat of game two, UMass scored the decisive run in its half of the seventh to win 4-3.

Here is a closer look at each game:

Game One – Marist 11, UMass 1 (6 inn.)

Freshman center fielder Gabrielle Kelliher went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBIs, a double and a stolen base. Junior right fielder Colleen McWilliams went 1-for-3 with three RBIs and a double, and freshman designated player Samantha Reilly went 1-for-2 with three runs scored. The Red Foxes had seven hits, drew 10 walks and were hit by two pitches.

In the circle, Melanie White (9-8) pitched a complete game two-hitter. White struck out eight, and the only run she allowed was unearned.

The Red Foxes scored twice in the first on just one hit, an RBI single by Kelliher. UMass scored once in the first without the benefit of a hit, and Marist expanded its lead back to two in the third thanks to a fielder's choice. In the fifth, the Red Foxes ran the lead to 5-1 on a two-run double by McWilliams, which plated Kelliher and Reilly.

Marist then put the game out of reach by scoring six times in the top of the sixth. The Red Foxes had just one hit in the inning – an RBI single by junior first baseman Maureen Duddy – but drew six walks, were hit by two pitches, advanced on two wild pitches and stole one base.

UMass starter Caroline Raymond (8-12), who went the first five innings, took the loss.

Game Two – UMass 4, Marist 3

Kelliher and Duddy paced the Red Foxes offensively, as both went 2-for-4. Junior shortstop Kyrsten Van Natta stole two bases. Marist outhit UMass by a count of 8-4.

Marist never led in the contest, although the Red Foxes fought back to tie the game twice. The Minutewomen scored in the bottom of the first, but the Red Foxes tied the game in the fourth as Kelliher doubled, went to third on a base hit by McWilliams, and then scored on a wild pitch.

In the fifth, a two-run single off the bat of UMass second baseman Whitney Cooper gave the Minutewomen a 3-1 lead. Duddy's RBI single brought home McWilliams to cut the Red Foxes' deficit in half in the sixth. An RBI single by Reilly scored Van Natta to tie the game in the top of the seventh, but the Minutewomen scored the winning run on an error with two outs in the bottom half of the inning.

Meg Colleran (2-8) pitched a complete game to earn the win for UMass. Sophomore Jayne Oberdorf (6-6) allowed one unearned run over the final 1.2 innings and took the loss. Senior Janine Lalli started in the circle for Marist and allowed three hits and three runs while striking out four in five innings.

Marist now stands at 17-19; UMass is 9-19.

Marist returns to action on Saturday, when the Red Foxes host Iona for a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader. First pitch of game one at Gartland Field is scheduled for noon.