POUGHKEEPSIE, New York - The Marist baseball team split a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader with the Niagara Purple Eagles on Friday afternoon at McCann Field.
The Red Foxes trailed 3-0 early in game one, but scored six unanswered runs to earn the victory in game one by a score of 6-3. Marist fell to the Purple Eagles in game two 8-5 despite a late comeback bid in that one as well.
With the split, Marist record goes to 6-2 on the season, while Niagara's goes to 14-8.
Marist 6, Niagara 3 (7 innings)
W: Cantone (3-0), L: Grace (0-1)
- Niagara got on the board first in the first inning as a wild pitch from Ryan Cardona scored Niagara's Dawson Bailey from third base.
- The Purple Eagles extended their lead to 3-0 in the third inning when Cole O'Connor singled into right field, scoring two runs.
- Brian Hart gave the Red Foxes their first run of the game as he belted his first home-run of the season over the leftfield wall in the fourth inning.
- Niagara's lead was cut to one run when a sacrifice fly from Tyler Kapuscinski drove in Dylan Hoy from third base in the bottom of the fifth.
- Just one batter later, Robbie Armitage drove in the tying run after he lined a ball into left field.
- Using heads up baserunning, Matt Rubayo got himself into scoring position on a wild pitch with one just out in the sixth. Reece Armitage capitalized on this opportunity with a sacrifice fly to give the Red Foxes a 4-3 lead.
- Marist would add two more insurance runs in the sixth on an error and an RBI single from Tyler Kapuscinski, propelling the Red Foxes to a 6-3 victory.
Niagara 8, Marist 5
W: Bunning (3-1), L: Pansini (0-2), S: Hospital (1)
- The first run of the game went to the Red Foxes, as McNeill came in to score on a double play in the first inning.
- Niagara scored four runs in the second inning, three of which came via a three-run homerun from Mike Brisson with two outs in the frame.
- After a Max Giordano sac fly in the top of the fourth, Brisson homered again which gave the Purple Eagles a 7-1 advantage.
- Niko Amory slammed a solo home run deep into left field which may have landed on route nine to cut the deficit to five runs.
- Two innings later, Robbie Armitage belted a two-run homer as the Red Foxes cut into the lead again and trimmed the deficit to just three.
- After Niagara added an insurance run in the eighth, McNeil canceled it out with an rbi infield single. The Red Foxes had the tying run up to bat in the inning but were unable to muster any more runs and the Purple Eagles went on to win 8-5.
- In game one, Ryan Cardona started and fired 5.2 innings, and allowed just two earned runs on four hits and struck out seven.
- Tyler Kapuscinski led the team with two RBIs in game one, while McNeil led the team with two hits. McNeill also had two hits in game two, totaling four on the day.
- Alex Pansini struck out five and allowed seven runs in 6.0 innings pitched in game two.
- Zane Kmietek was dominant in relief in game two, twirling 2.2 scoreless innings and allowing just one hit while striking out four.
- Steven Hospital was excellent in relief in game two for the Purple Eagles, earning the save after tossing 2.1 scoreless innings with just one runner reaching base.
- Cardona's seven k's in game one brings him to 15 on the season.
- Nick Cantone closed out game one with 1.1 scoreless innings and three strikeouts. He earned his third victory of the season already, which is already a career high.
- Niko Amory's homerun in the fifth inning of game two was his third of the year and the fifth of his career.
- Robbie Armitage's two-run blast in the sixth inning of game two was his third of the year and 13th of his career.
The Red Foxes and Purple Eagles will be back at it again on Saturday to close out the four-game set. First pitch of game one is set for noon.
