BUFFALO, New York – The eighth-seeded Marist softball team defeated second-seeded Canisius, 5-0, on Thursday in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Final Four.
Calista Phippen tossed a four-hitter and struck out 11.
Caroline Baratta and
Kaley Coltrain homered for the Red Foxes.
Marist 5, Canisius 0 – W: Calista Phippen (9-5), L: Alexis Churchill (7-4)
- Marist scored the game's first run in the top of the third on a home run by Baratta to center field.
- Phippen struck out five straight Canisius batters between the second and third innings.
- The Red Foxes added two more runs in the fourth, both with two outs. A hard-hit infield single to short off the bat of Hunter Hand brought home Miah McDonald. Alyssa Grupp then came home on a wild pitch, which put the Red Foxes up 3-0.
- Grupp scored in the top of the sixth to extend Marist's lead to 4-0. She stole third on the front end of a double steal with Hailee Jantorno, and after an error, she came home.
- Coltrain's leadoff homer in the seventh gave Marist a 5-0 advantage.
- Phippen threw 119 pitches, 83 of which went for strikes. She walked just one.
- Coltrain went 3-for-4.
- Baratta reached base three times with her home run and two walks. She stole two bases.
- Grupp went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
- Marist outhit Canisius, 9-4.
- Alexis Churchill started for Canisius and went 3.2 innings. Megan Giese went the final 3.1 and struck out four.
- Phippen threw her third shutout of the season. Her 11 strikeouts tied a season high, and she struck out at least 10 in a game for the fifth time in her career.
- Phippen has won her last five decisions, and is 8-1 in her last nine outings.
- Baratta's home run was her fourth of the season, a new career high.
- Coltrain has homered in six of her last seven games.
- Marist extended its winning streak to five, a season-high.
- Marist improved to 15-10.
- Canisius is now 24-13.
- Marist will play in the winners' bracket final on Friday at 2 p.m.
- The Red Foxes will face the winner of sixth-seeded Manhattan and fourth-seeded Fairfield, who are currently playing.