GREENSBORO, North Carolina – The Red Foxes dropped their second game in a row on Saturday by a final score of 8-6 to the UNC Greensboro Spartans. The loss drops Marist to 5-9 (0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) and the win brings the Spartans to 13-5 (0-0 Southern Conference).

Sophomore Andrew Rouse led the Red Foxes, going 3-for-5 with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Sophomore Matt Iantosca and freshman Anthony Lazar each chipped in with 1-for-3 efforts with one run scored each. Marist totaled five hits on the afternoon.

Sophomore Charlie Jerla got the start and threw five innings, giving up five runs on 10 hits to go along with two walks and one strikeout. Sophomore Scott Boches made his first appearance of the season after missing all of 2015 while recovering from Tommy John surgery and pitched two innings giving up no runs and no hits while walking one and striking out one. Sophomore Tony Romanelli threw two thirds of an inning and gave up one run on one hit and junior Ryan Thomas picked up the loss throwing one third of an inning, while giving up two runs on three hits.

Freshman Cesar Trejo and junior Ben Spitznagel led the Spartans going 3-for-4 with one and no runs batted in respectively.

For the second game in a row, the Red Foxes scored in the top of the first inning. Senior co-captain Graham McIntire walked to lead off and stole second. Rouse reached on a muffed throw by the pitcher that also advanced McIntire to third to set up men on first and third with no outs. Rouse stole second and McIntire scored on a passed ball later in the same at bat and Marist had the 1-0 lead with a man on second and no outs. Two batters later, freshman Frankie Gregoire grounded out to first base, scoring Rouse and the Red Foxes led 2-0.

In the top of the second, freshman Anthony Lazar walked, Iantosca singled through the left side and senior John Brucker walked to load the bases. After a Spartan pitching change, McIntire hit a sac fly to center field that scored Lazar and the lead was 3-0. Rouse followed with a single up the middle that scored Brucker and Iantosca and suddenly Marist had a 5-0 advantage.

UNC Greensboro got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third when Trejo singled to right field and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Spitznagel singled to center, advancing Trejo to third but an absolute laser from McIntire in center field to Iantosca at the plate nailed Trejo trying to score for the innings second out. Sophomore Tripp Shelton followed with a single to shortstop and senior L.J. Kalawaia walked to load the bases. Senior Collin Woody came to the plate and on the first pitch launched a grand slam over the left field wall that trimmed the score to 5-4.

The Spartans tied the game the very next inning. Junior Ryne Sigmon and freshman Andrew Moritz singled with one out that advanced Sigmon to third. At the end of the play, a throw to second by Iantosca was immediately returned by Lazar nailing Sigmon who was trying to score. Trejo followed up with a single that scored Moritz and the game was tied 5-5.

The game remained tied until the top of the seventh. Rouse tripled to lead off the inning and Kocinski followed with a ground out to the shortstop that scored Rouse and the Red Foxes regained the lead 6-5.

In the bottom of the eighth, Romanelli came on to pitch for Marist. Woody singled with one out and was picked off during the next at bat by Iantosca on a throw to first. Junior Dillon Stewart singled in the next at bat and the Red Foxes brought on Thomas to close the game. Junior Jake Kusz reached on a fielding error by the second baseman. Sigmon singled scoring Stewart and Moritz singled, scoring Sigmon and Kusz and the Spartans were ahead 8-6.

Marist looked to regain their offensive swagger in the top of the ninth but were unable to get anything going as they went down 1-2-3 to end the game with UNC Greensboro emerging victorious.

Up next for the Red Foxes is the third and final game of the series on Sunday at 12 P.M.