POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist baseball team defeated Albany by a score of 6-3 in a non-conference game on Wednesday at McCann Field.

The Red Foxes and Great Danes were originally scheduled to play a pair of seven-inning games starting at 2 p.m. However, a rain delay of one hour, 11 minutes prior to the first pitch necessitated that one nine-inning game would be played.

The contest began as a pitchers' duel, with Marist sophomore right-hander Tyler Dearden and Albany's Cameron Sorgie keeping the game scoreless through the first three-and-a-half innings. However, Marist struck for three runs in the home half of the fourth. With one out, junior second baseman Joey Aiola and senior catcher Mark Swertfager had back-to-back infield singles. After both moved up on a passed ball, a single by junior shortstop John Brucker gave the Red Foxes a 2-0 lead. Brucker then stole second and third, and scored on an RBI groundout by senior third baseman Alec Petrone.

Marist maintained a 3-0 lead until the seventh, when Albany scored three times. A two-run triple by center fielder Will Miller cut the Red Foxes' lead to one. Two batters later, a two-out triple by third baseman Matt Hinchy brought home Miller to tie the game.

The Red Foxes then grabbed the lead back for good with a two-run seventh. Senior first baseman Steve Laurino led off by reaching on an error, and junior left fielder Matt Pagano followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Laurino then scored on a wild pitch, and a line-drive single to left by red-shirt sophomore right fielder Zachary Racusin plated Pagano. Marist added an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI groundout by Racusin.

Senior right-hander Chris Napolitano (3-0), who entered the game after Hinchy's game-tying triple and stranded him at third, earned the win with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. Sophomore right-hander Ryan Thomas pitched a scoreless ninth, using just 14 pitches for his third save of the year. Dearden allowed no runs, no walks, and just three hits while striking out three in his five-inning start. He threw just 63 pitches, 44 of which went for strikes.

Offensively for Marist, Aiola and sophomore designated hitter Tyler Kirkpatrick each had two hits.

Michael Adams (0-1) took the loss for Albany. For the Great Danes offensively, Kenny Hayden went 3-for-5.

Marist is now 8-14; Albany is 7-10.

Marist returns to action this weekend with a three-game Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference series against Niagara. The Red Foxes and Purple Eagles will play a doubleheader on Saturday, followed by a single game on Sunday. First pitch both days is scheduled for noon.