The Canisius College softball team closed out the home portion of the 2011 schedule by splitting a MAAC doubleheader with visiting Marist College on Senior Day Saturday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex. The Red Foxes (29-18, 9-3 MAAC) scored two runs in the top of the ninth to secure a 3-1, extra-inning victory in game one before the Golden Griffins (19-20, 6-8 MAAC) bounced back to take the second game by a final of 4-3.

In the Griffs' 4-3 win, senior Lauren Hope tied the MAAC's career stolen base record when she swiped her 112th career base in the bottom of the first inning. Hope, who took over the Canisius career stolen base record in her sophomore season, is now tied with former Fairfield player Ellen Sarosy, who stole 112 career bases during her career, which ran from 2000-03. Hope led off the bottom of the first with a walk and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by teammate Katie Medina. Moments later, Hope stole third and then advanced to home to put the Blue and Gold up 1-0 when the attempt to gun down Hope at third base sailed into left field. The Griffs added a single run in the home half of the second when Medina roped an RBI-single to center that allowed junior Lauren Falzone to score, and the Griffs took a commanding 3-0 lead in the sixth inning on an RBI-base hit by junior Katie Lancellotti, and freshman Valorie Nappo would end up scoring the eventual game-winning run on a wild pitch with one out in the frame.

Those two runs in the sixth for Canisius would be key, as Marist scored three times to make it a 4-3 game in the seventh. After Danielle Koltz led off the seventh with a single to left, Haley Birnbaum followed with a two-run homer to the gap in right center to make it a 4-2 game. Following Birnbaum's homer, Canisius starter Jen Consaul was lifted for reliever Amanda Baun. Baun walked the first batter she faced, and after two wild pitches and a throwing error, Caitlin Schell scored to make it 4-3. Baun locked up her second save of the season as she fanned a batter and then got Nicole DiVirgilio to pop up in the infield to end the game.

Consaul earned her seventh win of the year in the circle after she gave up two runs on four hits while striking out two and walking two in six innings of work. Baun earned the save after she gave up one run, an unearned run, on one hit while walking one and striking out two. Hope and Nappo had two hits apiece in the win for Canisius, which racked up nine hits off Marist starter Paige Lewis, who took the loss for the Red Foxes.

In the first game, Canisius took a 1-0 lead in the second when senior Kerry Ulmer drove in a run with a sacrifice-fly to right that allowed teammate Chloe Contreras to score from third. The game would remain 1-0 until the seventh when, with one out, Birnbaum hit her seventh home of the season over the fence in centerfield. After each team had a chance to score in the eighth but came up empty, Marist tallied two runs in the top of the ninth, with the game-winning run coming on a single to right by Schell.

The Red Foxes racked up eight hits off losing pitcher Caroline Main, who fell to 4-9 with the loss after she allowed three runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking four. Birnbaum, Schell and Ashley Corriss had two hits apiece in the win for Marist, while pitcher Emily Osterhaus moved to 12-7 on the year after she went the distance and allowed just one run on three hits while walking three and fanning one.

Canisius will return to action May 4, when the team travels to Robert Morris in Moon Township, Pa. First pitch in the non-conference doubleheader is set for noon.

Game Notes: Canisius is now 24-10 all-time against Marist... The Griffs and the Red Foxes have split the regular-season series in each of the last three seasons... Senior Paige Freiberger drew a total of three walks in the two games on Saturday to help her become the first player in school history to draw 80 career base-on-balls... Freiberger has now reached base safely in 10-straight games... Senior Emily Helbig, who ranks among the top-five in Canisius career fielding percentage, was a part of two double plays in the twinbill... She has now been a part of 30 double plays in her time as a Griff, which leads all active players... Consaul has allowed five hits or less in five of her starts this season... The win in the second game was the 770th all-time for the Canisius softball program, all under head coach Mike Rappl.