BALTIMORE, Maryland – The Marist softball team swept a doubleheader at Coppin State on Friday on the opening day of the UMBC Dawg Pound Invitational. The Red Foxes won 14-2 in the first game, which was shortened to five innings due to the mercy rule, and earned a 12-6 triumph in the second game.

Sophomore left fielder Gabrielle Kelliher and freshman second baseman Brandi Coon each had a team-high five hits on the day. Coon scored six runs and drove in four. The Red Foxes were 11-for-11 on stolen base attempts in the two games, with senior shortstop Krysten Van Natta leading the way with four.

Here is a closer look at each game:

Game One – Marist 14, Coppin State 2 (five innings)

Nine different Red Foxes had hits, led by Coon, Kelliher, junior catcher Rebecca Freeman and sophomore left fielder Miranda Perez with two apiece. Coon and Freeman scored a team-high three runs apiece, and junior right fielder Janna Korak drove in a team-best four runs.

Marist got on the scoreboard with two runs in the top of the second, and broke it open with a six-run third which included a three-run homer by Korak. The Red Foxes tacked on five more runs in the fourth, a frame which featured a two-run homer by Van Natta and a two-run single by Coon. Marist closed out the scoring with a run in the fifth.

Freshman Megan Beiermeister (4-0) did not allow a run over 2.1 innings and struck out two. Freshman Brooke Peterson struck out two in 2.2 innings.

For Coppin State, shortstop Danielle Smith went 2-for-3. Melanie Benge (0-4), who went the first 2.1 innings, took the loss.

Game Two – Marist 12, Coppin State 6

Kelliher and Coon tied for the team high with three hits and two RBIs. Coon and Van Natta scored three runs apiece, and Van Natta also drove in two runs. Freshman Claire Oberdorf, making her first start of the season after having played for Marist's women's basketball team, went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored at catcher.

Marist opened the scoring with a three-run second thanks to a bunt single by Coon, an RBI groundout by Oberdorf and an RBI double by sophomore third baseman Brittany Colombo. Kelliher's RBI single made it 4-0 in the third, and the Red Foxes scored three more times in the fifth, an inning which included RBI singles by Coon and Oberdorf.

Coppin State scored three times in the home half of the fifth, but Marist answered with a two-run sixth. Senior first baseman Maureen Duddy stole third and scored on a throwing error, and Kelliher added an RBI single. Coppin State battled back with a three-run sixth and brought the tying run to the plate, but Peterson escaped the jam by inducing a groundout back to herself.

Marist then expanded its lead with a three-run seventh thanks to a two-run triple by Van Natta, which was followed by an RBI single off the bat of senior first baseman Colleen McWilliams.

Freshman Kallen Leeseberg (2-1) struck out five in four-plus innings, and allowed just two hits, to earn the win. Red-shirt junior Jessica Van Alphen followed with 1.2 innings of relief, and Peterson recorded the final four outs for her first save.

Pitcher Megan Narvaez and center fielder Alanna Williams each drove in two runs for Coppin State. Benge (0-5), who took the loss, went the first five innings.

The victories improve Marist's record to 9-3 on the season. The Red Foxes will be back in action with two games on Saturday, when they face Morgan State at 10:30 a.m. and UMBC at 3 p.m.