HAMMOND, Louisiana – The Marist softball team split its first two games in the 2022 Lion Classic II tournament on Friday. The Red Foxes defeated Buffalo 2-1 in eight innings, but were then defeated by host Southeastern Louisiana 10-2 in five innings.
Marist is now 6-6 on the season with three games left in tournament play this weekend.
- In the bottom of the third, Sam Freeland hit a two-out RBI single down the left field line, bringing home Alyssa Yarem.
- In the top of the fourth, Buffalo's Anna Aguon got on base with two outs. Aguon stole second base and reached third on a single by junior Brianna Castro. The Red Foxes were able to escape the fourth inning with their lead intact.
- Rachel Steffan tied the game up 1-1 in the top of the sixth with a solo home run to left center field. The Bulls threatened to take the lead, but Marist center fielder Hailee Jantorno threw a runner out at the plate to keep the score tied.
- In the top of the seventh inning, Kiley Myers struck out the side, with two batters swinging and one looking.
- In the eighth inning, each team placed a runner at second to start the inning. Myers pitched a 1-2-3 top of the eighth to keep the score knotted at one.
- In the bottom of the eighth, Maddie Gore started on second. She went to third on a flyout by Hannah Brock. Gore then came home with the winning run on a two-out fielding error to give Marist a 2-1 win.
- Myers (2-0) went all eight innings and struck out eight. She gave up just six hits and two walks.
- Madisen Blackford's two-run homer started the scoring for Southeastern Louisiana in the bottom of the first.
- The Lions added three more runs in the bottom of the second.
- Morgan Gianelle's solo homer in the top of the third got Marist on the scoreboard.
- Southeastern Louisiana added three more runs in the third, and another in the fourth to go up 9-1.
- The Red Foxes were able to extend the game in the top of the fifth when Brock scored on Kaitlyn Husic's groundout.
- The Lions ended the game on the bottom of the fifth on an error following a stolen base.
- The Red Foxes will be back in action against both Buffalo (noon) and Southeastern Louisiana (4 p.m.) on Saturday.
- The Marist-SLU game will be carried live on ESPN+.