POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist softball team split a doubleheader against St. Bonaventure of the Atlantic 10 on Thursday. The Red Foxes won the first game by a score of 9-1 in a contest shortened to five innings due to the mercy rule. St. Bonaventure rebounded for a 4-1 victory in game two.

Junior shortstop Kyrsten Van Natta homered in both games, and led the Red Foxes with four runs on the day.

Here is a closer look at each game:

Game One – Marist 9, St. Bonaventure 1 (5 innings)

Van Natta fell just a triple short of the cycle, as she went 3-for-3 with four RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base. Junior first baseman Maureen Duddy went 2-for-2 with three runs scored, two RBIs and two stolen bases. Sophomore right fielder Janna Korak and junior center fielder Colleen McWilliams each had two hits, and freshman designated player Samantha Reilly drove in two runs.

In the circle, senior Melanie White pitched a complete game five-hitter with five strikeouts to improve her record to 11-10.

Marist opened the scoring in the first. Duddy drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third on a single by Van Natta, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Reilly. The Red Foxes then erupted for five runs in the second, a frame which included a two-run single by Duddy, a two-run double by Van Natta and an RBI single by Reilly.

Katie Sinclair homered to get St. Bonaventure on the board in the fourth, but Marist answered with a two-run homer by Van Natta. The Red Foxes ended the game in the fifth via the mercy rule when a sacrifice fly by senior second baseman Janine Lalli scored freshman pinch-runner Miranda Perez.

Josy Borysevicz (9-9), who went the first 1.1 innings, took the loss for St. Bonaventure.

Game Two – St. Bonaventure 4, Marist 1

St. Bonaventure's Carly Bilchak (1-4) went the distance on a three-hitter. Bilchak struck out six and walked four.

The Bonnies scored three runs in the third, an inning which included RBI singles by left fielder Hailey Blencowe and second baseman Kiera Lorenzo in addition to two Marist errors.

Van Natta homered to lead off the Marist sixth, but St. Bonaventure added an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI double by Sinclair. The Red Foxes were able to bring the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but were unable to score.

Lalli (3-6) took the loss for the Red Foxes. She pitched a complete game, scattering seven hits while striking out three.

Marist is now 20-24. St. Bonaventure is 12-20.

The Red Foxes return to action this weekend by hosting a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheaders. Marist will take on Monmouth on Saturday, and Fairfield on Sunday. First pitch on both days on scheduled for noon.