BUFFALO, New York – The third-seeded Marist softball team has advanced to the championship round in the MAAC Softball Championship. The Red Foxes earned a 6-5 comeback victory over top seed and tournament host Canisius on Friday at the Demske Sports Complex.
 

Summary

• Marist scored first in the top of the second. Alyssa Grupp led off the inning with a double, and scored on Isabella Manory's sacrifice fly.
• In the top of the third, Maddie Pleasants' RBI singled brought home Peyton Pusey and gave Marist a 2-0 lead.
• Christie McGee-Ross' two-run homer in the bottom of the third tied the score at two.
• Hannah Brock broke the tie in the fifth with a solo homer. Later in the inning, Haley Ahr drove in Sam Freeland with a single.
• Canisius answered with three in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-4 lead.
• In the top of the seventh, Shea Walsh's ground-rule double brought home Ahr with the tying run. Manory followed with a squeeze bunt, which enabled Grupp to score what proved to be the winning run.
• Calista Phippen retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh.

 

Stats

• Marist outhit Canisius, 13-9. Pusey, Pleasants, Ahr, Grupp, Walsh, and Brock had two hits apiece.
• Pleasants reached base safely all four times with two hits and two walks.
• Grupp scored two runs. Manory drove in two runs.
• Kiley Myers started and the first 4.1. Phippen allowed just one hit over the final 2.2 and improved record to 14-10.
• For Canisius, McGee-Ross went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs, a home run, and a stolen base.

 

Notes

• Marist will play its fourth MAAC championship in program history on Saturday. The Red Foxes previously won in 2006, 2013, and 2016. It is Marist's first appearance in the championship round since 2019.
• Brock now has four homers in her last 21 at-bats.
• Pleasants now has 34 RBIs in her last 27 games.

 

Records

• Marist is 28-28.
• Canisius is 29-15-1.

 

Up Next

• Marist is in the MAAC Championship Round on Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN+, with two chances to win one game for the title.
• The Red Foxes will play top-seeded Canisius.
• If Marist wins game one, the Red Foxes take the title.
• If Canisius wins game one, a winner-take-all game will follow.