STARKVILLE, Mississippi – Behind a nine run, 11 hit performance, the Marist baseball team picked up a 9-8 win over the defending Southeastern Conference (SEC) Champion Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon. Earlier in the day, the Red Foxes fell to the Indiana State Sycamores 3-1.

With the results, Marist stands at 4-3 on the year, the team's best start under head coach Chris Tracz and the best in program history since the 2009 season's 5-2 start. The 11 hits also tied a season high for most hits in a game, which they also did in the season opening 5-0 win vs. Bucknell.

“This weekend I think is summed up simply as we competed” said Tracz. “We weren't perfect but we competed. This group is learning who we can be when we play together and for each other. I'm happy with how we dealt with the adversity of the weekend and that we had guys step up and make leadership plays, something that can go a long way in building confidence. After the game yesterday, I told the guys we weren't ready to beat Mississippi State yet, but if we learned something from the prior games and got the opportunity again, not to waste it. For many of these guys it's the last time they will play at Dudy Noble Field and you don't play SEC teams all the time. It's hard to win games on the road and even harder in the SEC, but this group showed toughness and togetherness and willingness to put it on the line. These are traits that we can bring with us moving forward this season.”

In the first game against the Sycamores, Andrew Rouse led the Red Foxes, going 1-for-3 with an RBI, while Greg Kocinski chipped in a hit and a run scored and Anthony Lazar and Frankie Gregoire each got a hit. On the mound, Scott Boches got the loss, throwing five innings while giving up three runs (two earned) on eight hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Mike Coss threw three innings of hitless and scoreless ball to go along with a walk and one strikeout.

In the second game, Tyler Kapuscinski led Marist with a 3-for-4 effort with four runs scored and Gregoire finished 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and three RBI. Rouse went 3-for-3 with the game winning RBI, Kocinski finished 1-for-4 with 3 RBI and Lazar went 1-for-3 with three runs scored. Patrick Lightner picked up his first collegiate hit with a 1-for-3 effort with a run scored and Matt Pagano finished with two RBI. On the hill, in his first career start and appearance for Marist, Connor McNamara pitched two scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. Sean Keenan picked up the win, throwing three innings while giving up three runs on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts and Tony Romanelli picked up his second save of the year, pitching four innings while giving up five runs (four earned) on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

VS INDIANA STATE

The Sycamores got on the board to open the scoring in the bottom of the first. Following a lead off ground out, Dominic Bifano walked, and CJ Huntley singled to right center to set up men on first and second. After a hit batter that loaded the bases, Clay Dungan hit a fielder's choice grounder that Rouse threw home to nail the runner and keep the game scoreless. Tony Roselli then followed with an 2 RBI single and it was 2-0 Indiana State.

Marist answered in the top of the second when Kocinski led off with a single through the right side and Taveras reached on an error by the shortstop that advanced Kocinski to third base. Taveras stole second during the next at bat and Pagano walked to load the bases with no outs. Following a strike out, Rouse hit an RBI ground out to the first baseman that scored Kocinski and trimmed the deficit to 2-1.

Indiana State extended its lead in the bottom of the third when Bifano singled to lead off and two batters later, Dane Fiesler singled through the right side to set up men on first and third with one out. After the next batter struck out, Roselli reached on a throwing error by the catcher that allowed Bifano to score and it was 3-1 Sycamores.

That was all the offense Indiana State would need as the Sycamore pitchers limited the Red Foxes to just three hits over the next five innings and Indiana State emerged victorious 3-1.

VS MISSISSIPPI STATE

Marist opened the scoring against the Bulldogs in the top of the first inning when Lazar and Kapuscinski led off with singles to set up men on first and second. During the next at bat, the runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch before Gregoire walked to load the bases. Kocinski followed with a sac fly, scoring Lazar and Pagano hit an RBI ground out to the pitcher, scoring Kapuscinski and it was 2-0 Red Foxes.

Two innings later, the Red Foxes extended their lead. Lazar led off with a walk and Kapuscinski followed with a single and then advanced to second on an error by the center fielder with Lazar advancing to third. Gregoire singled through the right side, scoring Lazar and Kocinski singled through the right side, scoring Kapuscinski. Pagano followed with an RBI sac bunt and it was 5-0 Marist.

Mississippi got on the board in the bottom of the third after Keenan replaced McNamara on the mound and Jake Magnum doubled to right field with one out. He advanced to third on a wild pitch during the next at bat and Luke Alexander followed with a sac fly that scored Magnum and it was 5-1 in favor of the visitors.

In the top of the fourth, the Red Foxes again extended their lead when Lightner led off with a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball during the next at bat. Lazar followed with a walk and after a Mississippi State pitching change, Kapuscinski singled through the right side to load the bases with no outs. Gregoire then ripped a double to left field that scored Lightner and Lazar before Kocinski hit an RBI ground out to the second baseman, scoring Kapuscinski and it was 8-0 Marist.

The Bulldogs answered in the bottom of the fifth when Brant Blaylock doubled with one out and Magnum walked. Alexander hit a fielder's choice grounder that advanced Magnum to third on an error by the second baseman and allowed Blaylock to score. During the next at bat, a wild pitch allowed Magnum to score and it was 8-3 Red Foxes.

Marist answered with a run in the top of the sixth when Kapuscinski led off with a single after a Mississippi State pitching change. Two batters later, Kocinski reached on a throwing error by the second baseman that advanced Kapuscinski to third. After two Bulldog pitching changes that were wrapped around a stolen base by Kocinski and a strikeout, Rouse laced a single through the right side that scored Kapuscinski and the lead was back up to 9-3.

Down by six runs, Mississippi State got back into the game in the bottom of the sixth. Romanelli replaced Keenan and Jake Lovelady reached on an error by the shortstop with one out. Blaylock followed with a walk, Magnum was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Alexander doubled down the left field line on a chopper that bounced off the hard turf in front of third and over the head of the third baseman, scoring Blaylock and Lovelady. Ryan Gridley followed with an RBI single through the right side that scored Magnum and Alexander and just like that, the lead was trimmed to 9-7 Red Foxes.

Feeding off the momentum of the previous inning, the Bulldogs came to bat in the bottom of the seventh and quickly loaded the bases on a walk, a single and a fielder's choice sac bunt that Romanelli fielded but could not get the runner in time at third. However, with Mississippi State threatening, Romanelli came up huge, getting a strike out, an RBI ground out and a strikeout to end the inning with Marist still in the lead 9-8.

Romanelli then again came up big for the Red Foxes, getting 1-2-3 innings in both the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings to secure the 9-8 Marist victory.