DePolo Reaches 250 Wins as Army Sweeps Marist

Thursday, April 27

Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

2 PM

Army West Point

32-16

Marist

26-18

Army West Point

Marist

DePolo Reaches 250 Wins as Army Sweeps Marist

April 27, 2017 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Army West Point head softball coach Michelle DePolo earned her 250th-career victory with a 6-4 win over Marist in game one before completing the midweek sweep with a 2-1 victory over the Red Foxes Thursday at the Softball Park at Gartland Field.

The Black Knights improved to 33-16 on the season, while the Red Foxes dropped to 26-19 overall.

In game one, Army threatened early after Marist walked the bases loaded in the second inning. Maddie Kim started the trend with one out, with Sam Hartman and Alee Rashenskas following suit. The Black Knights were unable to convert on that opportunity, but took full advantage the following inning.

Kennedy Harrison led things off with an infield single before being relieved for Tyler McKinney on the base paths. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, McKinney scored the game's first run on a single by rookie Katie Ontiveros. The inning continued with back-to-back walks to Izzy Gates and Kim. Rookie Amelia Trotter extended Army's lead to 2-0 with a sacrifice fly that plated Ontiveros before catcher Sam Hartman belted the 0-1 offering deep over the wall in right center field for her first-career round tripper. The three-run blast capped Army's scoring that inning at five runs.

The Black Knights added an insurance run as Rashenskas scored on an error after Harrison's second hit of the afternoon.

Not to be deterred, Marist began chipping away at the six-run deficit in the sixth inning. The Red Foxes were able to take advantage of a pair of defensive miscues and cut Army's lead to 6-2 heading into the final frame.

The bottom of the seventh started with an infield single and a two-run homer by Janna Korak, which made it a two-run game. After another hit, DePolo was forced to bring in the Patriot League's all-time saves leader, Renee Poirier. She was able to work out of the jam, thanks in large part to a game-ending double play where rookie Lacey Swafford made a sliding catch in left field and doubled-up the runner at third after she left early.

The second game was controlled more by the pitchers as Poirier faced off against Megan Beiermeister. While the two sides combined for just eight hits in the nightcap, the Cadets were able to get an early 1-0 lead in the opening frame.

Army manufactured a run after Rashenskas led off with a walk and scored on a sacrifice fly by Harrison. Neither side was able to do much damage offensively until the fourth inning when the Black Knights added to their lead. Swafford and Harrison recorded back-to-back singles to get things started. Trotter gave herself up with a groundout to second in order to allow Swafford to score from third and give Army a 2-0 lead.

Marist manufactured its own run in the sixth frame after Korak began the inning with a double to right center. She later scored on a sac fly to left. That turned out to be the only offense the Red Foxes would manage against Poirier, however, as she held them off the rest of the game to secure the victory for Army.

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Army improves to 30-19-1 in the all-time series with Marist.
Head coach Michelle DePolo notched her 250th career victory at West Point, becoming the second coach in program history to reach the milestone.
Renee Poirier earned the save in game one, giving her five on the season which ties for the third-most nationally. That also ties her for the third-most single-season saves in program history.
In game two, the Plainville, Mass., native recorded her 13th complete game of the year, tying her total from 2016.
Poirier dropped her team-best ERA to 1.90.
Sam Hartman crushed her first-career home run with a three-run shot in the third inning of the first game.
Team captain Alee Rashenskas scored her 100th career run on a throwing error in the sixth inning of game one.
Rashenskas documented a single in the sixth inning of the first game, tying her for ninth in program history with 248 total bases.
Kennedy Harrison recorded her 25th hit of the season with a single through the right side in the fourth inning of game two.
Tyler McKinney scored the 45th run of her career on an RBI single by rookie Katie Ontiveros in the third inning of the opener.
The RBI was Ontiveros' 20th of the season as she joins fellow rookie Emily Ballesteros as the only Cadets to reach the milestone in 2017.
Ballesteros recorded her 15th walk of the season.

LINEUP BREAKDOWN
GAME ONE
Rashenskas (2B): 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored
Swafford (LF): 0-for-4
Harrison (SS): 2-for-3 with a walk

McKinney (PR): One run scored

Ballesteros (3B): 1-for-2 with a walk

Gray (3B): 0-for-1

Ontiveros (1B): 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI
Gates (CF): 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored
Kim (DP): 0-for-1 with two walks and a run scored

Cole (PH): 0-for-1

Trotter (RF): 0-for-2 with an RBI
Hartman (C): 1-for-2 with a home run, run scored and three RBI

Smith (P): 6.0 innings, seven hits, two runs (0 earned), three walks and 0 strikeouts
Newbary (P): 0.0 innings, three hits, two runs (earned), 0 walks and 0 strikeouts
Poirier (P): 1.0 inning, 0 hits, 0 runs (earned), one walk and 0 strikeouts

GAME TWO
Rashenskas (2B): 0-for-1 with two walks and a run scored
Swafford (LF): 1-for-2 with a run scored
Harrison (SS): 1-for-2 with an RBI
Ontiveros (1B): 0-for-3

Hoover (PR): One stolen base

Trotter (RF): 0-for-2 with an RBI
Hartman (DP): 0-for-3
Gates (CF): 0-for-2

Reilly (PH): 0-for-1

Kim (C): 1-for-3

McKinney (PR): N/A

Gray (3B): 0-for-3

Poirier (P): 7.0 innings, five hits, one run (earned), two walks and two strikeouts

FACTS & FIGURES

In game one, the Black Knights scored six runs on six hits and committed three errors, while Marist plated four on 10 hits and also had three errors defensively.
In the nightcap, Army documented two runs on three hits and had one error, while the Red Foxes scored one run on four hits and recorded one error.

UP NEXT

The Black Knights travel to Bethlehem, Pa., this weekend for its final Patriot League series of the regular season at Lehigh. Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's single game are slated to begin at noon.