POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK – The Marist baseball team (10-18-1, 5-6 MAAC) went 1-1 in a doubleheader with Rider on Saturday afternoon. The Red Foxes lost in game one 7-4, before winning game two 6-5 in heroic fashion.

Game One: Rider 7, Marist 4

Junior left fielder Matt Pagano (Cranston, Rhode Island) was 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored. Senior first basemen Steve Laurino (Carle Place, New York) had one run scored and one RBI on 1-for-4, while sophomore designated hitter Tyler Kirkpatrick (Eagleville, Pennsylvania) was 1-for-3 with one RBI.

The Red Foxes were the first to get across home plate scoring two runs in the fourth inning. Laurino hit a RBI triple to left center field, and Pagano hit a sacrifice fly RBI to left field which allowed Laurino to advance home. Rider scored two runs of its own in the fifth inning tying the game at two apiece.

Marist regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Kirkpatrick hit a sacrifice fly RBI. The Red Foxes extended their lead to 4-2 in the sixth inning when Pagano scored a run. Rider had a big inning in the seventh scoring five runs to retake the lead for the final time at 7-4.

Rider's Zach Mawson (3-2) picked up the win for the Broncs. Mawson pitched 6.0 innings and gave up seven hits and four earned runs with four strikeouts. Senior right-hander Chris Napolitano (Wall, New Jersey) pitched 6.1 innings in the loss for Marist. Napolitano (3-2) gave up five hits and five earned runs with one strikeout.

Game Two: Marist 6, Rider 5

Tyler Kirkpatrick had a big game for the Red Foxes going 3-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Junior second basemen Joey Aiola (Suffern, New York) was 2-for-2 with one RBI, while redshirt sophomore right fielder Zach Racusin (Mendham, New Jersey) went 2-for-4 with one run scored.

The Red Foxes fell behind early giving up one run in the second and third innings. After two more Rider runs in the top of the fourth, Marist got two runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Kirkpatrick hit a RBI double through the right side, and freshman third basemen Ryan Lynch (Portsmouth, Rhode Island) hit an RBI single to left field to pull the Red Foxes within two.

In the fifth inning the Red Foxes took a one run lead when Kirkpatrick hit a three-run homerun over the left field wall. Rider tied the game in the top of the seventh inning. In the bottom of the seventh Kirkpatrick got the inning started with a single, before Aiola hit a game-winning RBI single to right field giving the Red Foxes the win.

Senior right-handed pitcher Evan Davis (Little Falls, New York) pitched 6.1 innings in the win for Marist. Davis (3-5) gave up eight hits and four earned runs with three strikeouts.  Kurt Sowa (2-2) pitched 4.2 innings in the loss for the Broncs. Sowa gave up seven hits and five earned runs with five strikeouts.

The Red Foxes return to action on Sunday, April 19 for the final game of the Rider series. The first pitch is scheduled for noon.