By Mike Ferraro
FAIRFIELD, CT – The Marist University softball team extended its winning streak to a program-record 19 games with a doubleheader sweep at Fairfield on Friday.
The Red Foxes won the first game by a score of 8-6, and Maddie Pleasants tossed a shutout with 14 strikeouts in a 6-0 triumph in game two.
Game One
Fairfield scored in the top of the first, but Marist took the lead on Haley Ahr’s two-run homer in the bottom half.
Miah McDonald’s infield single brought home Ronni Howard in the second, which extended Marist’s lead to 3-1.
Fairfield tied the game in the top of the fifth, but Marist took the lead for good in the bottom half on back-to-back home runs by Maddie Pleasants and Sienna Kunze.
Pleasants’ two-run double gave Marist an 8-3 lead in the sixth.
Fairfield scored three in the top of the seventh, but the Red Foxes were able to hold on.
Pleasants was 2-for-4 with four RBIs and Peyton Pusey was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Ahr drove in two and scored two.
Faith Camilleri was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a double for Fairfield.
Game Two
After Pusey drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, Kunze’s RBI single gave Marist a 1-0 lead.
Ronni Howard’s two-run single later in the inning scored Haley Ahr and Kunze, which lifted Marist’s lead to 3-0.
Kaitlyn Husic led off the bottom of the second with a double, and McDonald’s home run two batters later staked Marist to a 5-0 lead.
Howard came home on Maddie Gore’s sacrifice fly in the fifth, which closed out the scoring.
Howard finished 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
Kunze was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Pleasants went the distance and struck out 14 as she tossed a four-hit shutout.