POUGHKEEPSIE, New York - The Marist softball team got back on the right track in its home opener on Thursday, defeating Holy Cross twice at Gartland Field. The Red Foxes took the first game 8-0, and won the second 7-2.

Game One – Marist 8, Holy Cross 0 (6 innings)
Junior Kallen Leeseberg was dealing early on, striking out five of the first six batters to face her. She was being matched pitch-for-pitch by Crusader starter Olivia Sloane, who was also firing zeroes for the first two frames.

Midway through the third, Leeseberg was on fire. She struck out eight of the first nine and seven consecutive.

Marist broke the deadlock in the bottom half of the third, when freshman Caroline Baratta slapped a single into left field, scoring senior Kourtney Paul to make it a 1-0 game. Sophomore Ali Milam opened the floodgates with a two-run single to put Marist up 3-0 by the end of the third.

A Taylor Moss single in the fourth was the first hit of the game for the Crusaders, and broke a string of nine consecutive strikeouts by Leeseberg. The Augusta, Georgia native then walked the bases loaded. However, her 11th strikeout got her out of that jam.

In the bottom of the fourth, junior Brandi Coon launched her first home run of the season. Not to be outdone, Baratta homered on the very next pitch to push the lead 6-0.

Marist would go up 7-0 off of a sacrifice fly from freshman Hunter Hand. A single by sophomore Amanda Sartori ended the first game in the bottom of the sixth by the mercy rule.

Game Two – Marist 7, Holy Cross 2
Holy Cross started hot in the second game, as a Jackie Brewster double on the first pitch of game led to an RBI groundout by Mandy McCarthy, giving the Crusaders a 1-0 lead. Not to be outdone, red-shirt sophomore Claire Oberdorf and Milam knocked in a pair to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom half of the frame. In the second, the Red Foxes loaded the bases with two outs, but were unable to score.

Freshman Nicole Teague, who pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Beiermeister in game one, gave up just one run in three innings as the game two starter. Holy Cross tied the game at two in the top of the fourth. In the bottom half of the inning, senior Brittany Colombo had a towering blast to dead center to once again put the Red Foxes out in front, this time by a score of 3-2.

Marist added a run in the fifth, and junior Megan Beiermeister pitched out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the sixth. In the bottom of the 6th, the Red Foxes began to pull away. An error on a Casey Page grounder plated Baratta, and Oberdorf put one into orbit with a two-run shot to center to close out the scoring.

Records
Marist improved to 12-18, while Holy Cross fell to 7-16.

Up Next
Marist takes on Army West Point in a home doubleheader on Wednesday, April 4. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 2 p.m.