HAMDEN, Connecticut – The Marist University baseball team came back to defeat Quinnipiac by a score of 8-7 on Saturday.
The game included five lead changes, and the last one came on
Brady Steinert's two-run homer in the top of the ninth.
- Quinnipiac opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first.
- Marist answered with three in the top of the second. Scott Esposito's single in the bottom of the first brought in Lewis Rodriguez. AJ Brotz's sacrifice fly brought in Zach Donahue. Jason Claiborn then walked with the bases loaded, which forced home Esposito.
- Quinnipiac tied the game on CJ Willis' solo homer in the bottom of the fourth. Willis then homered in the sixth to put the Bobcats up 4-3.
- Marist took the lead with a three-run eighth. Esposito's double brought in Rodriguez with the tying run. Chris Diaz tripled to score Esposito and put the Red Foxes in front. Brotz's infield single then plated Diaz as Marist took a 6-4 lead.
- In the bottom of the eighth, Alex Irizarry's three-run homer gave Quinnipiac a 7-6 advantage.
- Claiborn drew a leadoff walk in the ninth. He was sacrificed to second by Kyle Pollack. Steinert then delivered a two-run homer to put the Red Foxes ahead for good.
- Marist outhit Quinnipiac, 10-8, with Donahue and Esposito recording two apiece.
- Esposito finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored, and a double.
- Brotz and Steinert drove in two runs apiece. Rodriguez also scored two runs.
- Caleb Kempler (2-1) did not allow a run as he recorded the final six outs for the win.
- Tyler Hartley started and struck out seven over 5.2 innings.
- Marist is 8-12 overall and 5-3 in the MAAC.
- Quinnipiac is 11-9-1 overall and 6-2 in the MAAC.
- Marist and Quinnipiac play the rubber game of their three-game series on Sunday.
- First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
