By Mike Ferraro
STOCKTON, CA – The Marist softball team split its two games on Saturday as the Red Foxes closed out play in the Mizuno Classic and their 11-game Spring Break trip.
In their first game of the day, Santa Clara defeated Marist 9-1 in five innings. The Red Foxes bounced back for a 4-3 triumph in their second game.
Marist is now 11-15 on the season.
Game One
Santa Clara scored all nine runs in the top of the first. Lauren LaHood had a two-run double.
Caroline Baratta got Marist on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run, her third in the last four games.
Sam Freeland had two singles for the Red Foxes.
Maddie Pleasants struck out six for Marist.
Game Two
Marist scored two runs in the first. Freeland singled, and later scored on an error. Baratta also came home on an error.
Maddie Gore’s two-out double in the fourth brought home Miah McDonald, and put Marist up 3-0.
Reagan Hamilton’s leadoff homer in the sixth cut Marist’s lead to 3-1. The Tigers loaded the bases with one out, but then McDonald caught a line drive and Pleasants recorded a strikeout to end the inning.
Freeland’s two-out single in the seventh scored Gore and extended Marist’s lead to 4-1.
Hamilton’s two-out homer with one out in the bottom of the seventh made the score 4-3, but Pleasants recorded the final two outs on a line drive to McDonald and strikeout.
Freeland went 2-for-4, and finished the day with four hits.
Pleasants pitched a complete game with five strikeouts and just one walk issued.
The Red Foxes are now 6-2 in one-run games this season.
Marist is currently scheduled to return to action when it opens Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play in two weeks.
The Red Foxes will play a doubleheader at Niagara on Saturday, April 2 starting at noon, and a doubleheader at Canisius on Sunday, April 3 starting at 11 a.m.