College Softball
Marist College 3, Rider University 0
Marist College 5, Rider University 1
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.—Sophomore Megan McDonough (Olney, Md./Sherwood) was perfect through four and one-third innings but it wasn't enough as a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning broke a 1-1 tie and gave Marist College a 5-1 victory and a doubleheader sweep over Rider University in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference softball action on Monday.

Marist won the opener 3-0, holding Rider (6-15, 1-3 MAAC) to four hits, two from junior Kim Valdes (Jupiter, Fla./King's Academy).

“These were two really good games,” said head coach Tricia Carroll.  “Marist was picked as the preseason favorite in the conference for a reason.  I'm proud of how we competed.”

In the second game, McDonough retired the first 13 straight Red Fox batters, recording four strikeouts along the way and she gave the Broncs a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning with a two-out single, scoring Valdes who had doubled.

“Megan pitched very well,” Carroll said.  “She is talented and will keep us in games.  We needed more than one run and she held them off as long as she could.  We just didn't have enough run support in either game.”

Valdes had three of Rider's eight hits in the two games.

Marist used a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the score 1-1 and ended the game on the grand slam after a single, double and hit batsman loaded the bases.

Also for Rider in game two, junior Dana Sensi (Allentown) had two hits, both doubles.

In the opener, despite the two Valdes hits, the Broncs lost 3-0.

“We hit the ball hard but right at people,” Carroll said.  “Their pitchers did a nice job keeping us off balance.”

Marist broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning, converting a walk, single, fielding error and another single into a 1-0 lead.

Marist led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo home run and the Red Foxes used a two-out RBI single, also in the fifth for the final score.

Sophomore Delany DeMello (Roseville, Calif./Roseville) suffered the loss, going six innings and allowing two earned runs, while recording two strikeouts.

The teams split two games at Herb and Joan Young Field last season with DeMello throwing a five-hit shutout in the opener.  Marist leads the all-time series 33-17.

Weather permitting, Rider hosts Princeton in a single game at 4pm on Tuesday at Herb and Joan Young Field.

-RU-