HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT – The Marist baseball team (12-20-1, 7-7 MAAC) won one game and lost the other in a doubleheader with Quinnipiac (18-19, 11-6 MAAC) on Saturday afternoon. The Red Foxes won game one 9-5, before falling in game two 7-4.

Game One: Marist 9, Quinnipiac 5

Junior second basemen Joey Aiola (Suffern, New York) led the way for the Red Foxes going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and one run scored. Junior shortstop John Brucker (Sparta, New Jersey) added two RBIs on 2-for-4 at the plate. Senior first basemen Steve Laurino (Carle Place, New York) went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, while junior center fielder Graham McIntire (Concord, New Hampshire) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

The Red Foxes got off to a hot start scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. McIntire scored on an error by Quinnipiac after Laurino singled to left field. Aiola singled to center field bringing in the second run of the game. Neither team scored another run until the sixth inning. In the top of the sixth Brucker hit a two run RBI single to left field extending the Red Foxes lead to 4-0. Quinnipiac scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to three runs.

Quinnipiac scored another run in the bottom of the seventh bringing the score to 4-2. The Red Foxes scored a run in the eighth when redshirt sophomore right fielder Zachary Racusin (Mendham, New Jersey) singled to left field. The Bobcats scored two runs in the eighth to pull within one. The Red Foxes responded with a four-run inning in the ninth. Aiola hit a two-run RBI single to left field. Two more Red Foxes scored in the inning off a wild pitch. Quinnipiac score one run in the bottom of the ninth ending the game at 9-5.

Senior right-hander Chris Napolitano (Wall, New Jersey) pitched 6.2 innings in the win for Marist. Napolitano (4-2) gave up seven hits and only one earned run with three strikeouts. Sophomore closer Ryan Thomas (Ringoes, New Jersey) pitched 1.2 innings and picked up the save for the Red Foxes, his fifth of the season. Thomas gave up one hit and one run with one strikeout. Thomas Jankins (4-4), who pitched 7.0 innings, picked up the loss for Quinnipiac. Jankins gave up nine hits and four earned runs, and had six strikeouts.

Game Two: Quinnipiac 7, Marist 4

Right fielder Zachary Racusin was 1-for-2 with one RBI and one run scored. First basemen Steve Laurino was 1-for-3 with one RBI, while second basemen Joey Aiola was 1-for-2 with one run scored.

The Red Foxes scored two runs in the first inning to gain a quick 2-0 lead over the Bobcats. Racusin scored after a McIntire single to right field, and a fielding error by the right fielder of Quinnipiac. In the next at bat Laurino drove in a run on a ground out to shortstop. In the second inning Racusin doubled to right center driving in two more runs for the Red Foxes and a lead of 4-0. Quinnipiac scored two runs in the bottom of the second to cut the lead to two.

The Bobcats added two runs in the third and fourth innings to gain a 6-4 lead. Quinnipiac scored one more run in the sixth inning to gain a 7-4 advantage. The Red Foxes were held scoreless for the fifth straight inning in the seventh giving the final score of 7-4.

Gary Binkiewicz (2-0) pitched 1.1 innings and picked up the win for Quinnipiac. Binkiewicz struck out one batter and gave up no hits or runs. Senior right-handed pitcher Evan Davis (Little Falls, New York), who pitched 6.0 innings, picked up the loss for Marist. Davis (3-6) gave up 10 hits and six earned runs, and struck out seven batters. Quinnipiac's Gregory Egan earned his fourth save of the season.

The Red Foxes return to action on Sunday, April 26 for the final game of the series with Quinnipiac. First pitch is scheduled for noon.