WEST LONG BRANCH, New Jersey – The sixth-seeded Marist softball team had its season come to an end Friday at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship. The Red Foxes defeated fifth-seeded Manhattan 2-1, but fell 6-5 to second-seeded Fairfield.
 
Game One - Marist 2, Manhattan 1
Summary

• The Red Foxes got on the board first in the top of the second. Lauren Beal was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, which forced home Brandi Coon.
• Brittany Colombo led off the third with a double, and was pinch-run for by Hunter Hand, who came home on a sacrifice fly by Coon.
• Manhatttan loaded the bases in the bottom of the third, but a flyout to Ali Milam ended the rally.
• In the bottom of the fifth, Manhattan got its first run on a two-out RBI single by Daniela Chiorazzi.
• Manhattan loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but Nicole Teague escaped the jam by inducing a comebacker and a fly ball to center Ali Milam to end the game.

 
Key Stats

• Both teams had seven hits. Manhattan left 11 on base, while Marist left seven.
• For the second straight game, Teague (5-8) pitched a complete game and did not allow an earned run.
• Claire Oberdorf led the Red Foxes by going 3-for-3.
• For Manhattan, Briana Matazinsky (12-10) pitched a complete game and also led the Jaspers with two hits.

 
Game Two – Fairfield 6, Marist 5
Summary

• Marist opened the scoring in the top of the first, when a two-out single by Oberdorf brought home Caroline Baratta, who reached on an infield single to lead off the game.
• Fairfield tied the game in the bottom of the first on a throwing error.
• The Red Foxes then had a four-run second. Baratta's RBI double brought home Hand. Casey Page and Baratta then scored on an error. Then Coon added an RBI single to bring home Colombo.
• Fairfield scored twice in the fourth. Makenna DiGuilio had an RBI single, and the Stags added a run on an error.
• The Stags closed their deficit to 5-4 in the fifth when a run scored on a double play.
• Angelina McGuire's two-run double in bottom of the seventh gave the Stags a walk-off win.

 
Key Stats

• Marist outhit Fairfield, 8-6, but left eight runners on base to the Stags' six.
• Baratta went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and Coon also had two hits.
• Megan Beiermeister (13-11), who entered the game in the seventh, took the loss. Starter Kallen Leeseberg and reliever Brooke Peterson each went three-plus innings.
• Karisa Hughen (3-8) pitched a complete game for the Stags. Three of the five runs she allowed were unearned.
• Mikayla Rubin led Fairfield offensively by going 2-for-3 with three runs scored.

 
Record
Marist finished its season at 27-32.
 
Thank You, Seniors!
Friday's games marked the end of the careers of the four members of the Red Foxes' senior class – Brittany Colombo, Gabrielle Kelliher, Kourtney Paul, and Miranda Perez. The class combined for 137 wins, a 2016 MAAC championship, 12 MAAC All-Academic Team selections (three for each), three All-MAAC selections (Paul, First Team, 2017; Kelliher, Second Team in 2016 & 2017), two MAAC All-Tournament Team selections (Kelliher, 2016; Paul, 2017), and a MAAC All-Rookie Team selection (Kelliher, 2015). Colombo was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2018, and Kelliher was a two-time Academic All-District selection who was named an Academic All-American in 2017.