WEST LONG BRANCH, New Jersey – The eighth-seeded Marist softball team swept top-seeded Monmouth in the quarterfinal round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Softball Championship on Friday.
The quarterfinal round consists of best-of-three series, and the Red Foxes advanced by virtue of sweeping a doubleheader on Friday at Monmouth. Marist earned a 5-3 triumph in game one, and pulled away for a 6-1 victory in game two.
The Red Foxes outhit the Hawks 22-7 on the day, and never trailed in either game.
Marist 5, Monmouth 3 – W: Calista Phippen (8-5), L: Alyssa Irons (15-5)
- The Red Foxes opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the first. Caroline Baratta led off the game with a single, and went to second on a wild pitch. A bunt single by Sam Freeland placed runners at the corners. On a Kaley Coltrain groundout, Baratta scampered home with the game's first run. Shea Walsh's single brought in Freeland, and Miah McDonald's double scored Walsh.
- Monmouth answered with three runs in the bottom of the first. All three were unearned, as two came in on a two-out error, and Devin Coia followed with an RBI double.
- Marist re-claimed the lead in the top of the second. Sam Freeland lofted a pop-up into short left field that was caught, but after a collision, Hailee Jantorno came home from third.
- Calista Phippen retired 15 straight Monmouth hitters between the first and sixth innings.
- Kaley Coltrain's solo homer to left-center increased Marist's lead to 5-3 in the sixth.
- Monmouth loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but McDonald snagged a low line drive to end the game.
- Baratta went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base. Coltrain drove in two runs.
- Phippen tossed a four-hitter and struck out seven.
- Tommi Stowers went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored for Monmouth.
- Alyssa Irons went the distance and struck out four for the Hawks.
Marist 6, Monmouth 1 – W: Meghan Haff (5-1), L: Kylie Gletow (10-4)
- Marist opened the scoring with a three-run second. With one out, the Red Foxes received consecutive singles from Miah McDonald, Alyssa Yarem, and Alyssa Grupp. Grupp's single brought home McDonald. After a sacrifice bunt from Hunter Hand, Caroline Baratta's double scored Yarem and Grupp.
- Erika Coreth's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the third cut Marist's lead to 3-1.
- RBI singles from Sam Freeland and Ali Milam in the fourth extended the Red Foxes' advantage to 5-1.
- In the seventh, Hailee Jantorno came off the bench to deliver an infield single, which brought home Shea Walsh.
- Meghan Haff retired 10 straight Monmouth hitters between the third and the sixth. After a leadoff hit in the seventh, McDonald started a 5-4-3 double play, and then made a great play on a hard ground ball to end the game.
- Marist outhit Monmouth, 13-3. Freeland, Walsh, McDonald, and Hunter Hand had two hits apiece. Grupp scored two runs, and Baratta brought in two.
- The only Marist starter not to get a hit was Kaley Coltrain, who was 0-for-1 with three walks. Her last two walks were intentional, and her last came in the sixth inning with two outs and no one on base.
- Haff tossed a three-hitter with eight strikeouts and two walks.
- Alyssa Irons allowed just one run over four innings of relief for Monmouth after pitching a complete game in the first game.
Marist will join the other three quarterfinal winners in double-elimination format that will start on Thursday, which will be hosted by the highest remaining seed.
