Marist Softball Wins First NCAA Tournament Game

By Mike Ferraro

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, TX – The Marist University softball team won its first NCAA Regional game in program history on Saturday, but then had its season come to an end.

The Red Foxes defeated Saint Francis by a score of 8-0 in six innings in their first game of the day, but then fell to top-ranked Texas A&M by a score of 17-4 in five innings.

Game One
Marist opened in the scoring in the bottom of the first. Peyton Pusey led off with a double, and she scored on a two-out single by Maddie Pleasants.

Miah McDonald belted a solo homer to center leading off the bottom of the third that was measured at 271 feet.

The Red Foxes then broke the game open with four in the fourth.

Kaitlyn Husic started a two-out rally with a walk.

Pusey followed with a bunt single, and an error moved the runners to second and third.
McDonald was intentionally walked.

Haley Ahr drew a bases-loaded walk.

Pleasants then cleared the bases with a double, making the score 6-0.

In the fifth, Isabella Manory reached on a one-out single, and scored on Ronni Howard’s double.

In the sixth, McDonald homered to lead off the inning, which ended the game by the mercy rule.

McDonald finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, three runs scored, two homers, and a walk.
Pleasants was 2-for-3 with four RBIs.

Pusey was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Kiley Myers went the distance on a four-hitter. She struck out four and walked just one.

Game Two
Texas A&M scored four in the top of the first, an inning that included a two-run homer by KK Dement.

Marist scored in the bottom of the first. Peyton Pusey led off with a bunt single, and later scored on a wild pitch.

Texas A&M scored once in the top of the second, but the Red Foxes countered in the bottom half. Ronni Howard drew a one-out walk, and she came home on Pusey’s triple.

Texas A&M scored 10 in the top of the fourth, which included a grand slam from Amarri Harper.

Maddie Gore’s two-run double in the bottom of the fourth brought in Sienna Kunze and Kaitlyn Husic.

Texas A&M tacked on two more in the fifth.