POUGHKEEPSIE, New York - The Marist softball team split a doubleheader with Big East foe Villanova on Monday. The Red Foxes earned a 2-1 victory in eight innings in game one, but the Wildcats took the second game, 1-0.
Here is a closer look at both games:
Game One – Marist 2, Villanova 1 (8 innings)
Senior Melanie White (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) pitched a complete game four-hitter. White (6-6) struck out six against just one walk, and threw 75 of her 116 pitches for strikes. She had five 1-2-3 innings, and retired 12 consecutive Wildcats between the fourth and eighth innings.
Villanova opened the scoring in the fourth. Third baseman Lauren Herschberg led off with a double, and scored on a two-out single by second baseman Chase Snell. Marist tied the game in the sixth as junior first baseman Maureen Duddy (San Mateo, Calif.) led off with a single, stole second, and then advanced to third on a throwing error. Junior shortstop Kyrsten Van Natta (Maplewood, N.J.) followed with an RBI double to tie the score.
In the eighth, Villanova loaded the bases with two outs, but sophomore catcher Rebecca Freeman (Robbinsville, N.J.) picked off a runner at third base to end the inning. In the bottom half of the frame, Freeman singled with two outs, and advanced to second after freshman designated player Samantha Reilly (Toms River, N.J.) walked. Senior second baseman Janine Lalli (Eastchester, N.Y.) then blooped a base hit into short right field, which brought Freeman home with the winning run.
Duddy, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, was the only player in the game with multiple hits.
Kate Poppe (5-11) pitched a complete game for Villanova, and struck out 10 while allowing just five hits and two walks in 7.2 innings.
Game Two – Villanova 1, Marist 0
Brette Lawrence (7-4) went the distance for the Wildcats, tossing a five-hitter and striking out four while walking no one. For Marist, sophomore Jayne Oberdorf (Greensburg, Pa.) struck out eight and walk two while also allowing just five hits. Oberdorf (5-5) threw 67 of her 101 pitches for strikes, and induced 10 ground-ball outs.
The lone run of the contest came in the fifth, and was unearned as the result of a two-out error.
Marist had runners on second and third with two outs in the seventh. A pitch went to the backstop, but bounced directly to Villanova catcher Jessica Angersbach, who threw out a runner attempting to get back to third to end the game.
For Villanova, Herschberg went 3-for-3 and scored the game's lone run. She was the only player in the game with more than one hit.
Marist is now 12-16 overall; Villanova is 13-18.
The Red Foxes will now play their next eight games on the road, starting with a non-conference doubleheader at Holy Cross on Wednesday. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
