Little River, SC – Madelin Marquart was 4-for-7 across the span of two games in her first collegiate softball games but the SUNY Canton softball team dropped a pair of games to the Martin Luther Knights and the PSU Mont Alto Nittany Lions to open the 2026 campaign Monday.  

The Roos got off to an early lead against Martin Luther but fell 9-4 in their first game. In game two against the Nittany Lions, the Roos lost 12-4 in five innings.

THE BASICS

• Result: Game 1: Martin Luther 9, SUNY Canton 4 | Game 2: Penn State Mont Alto 12, SUNY Canton 4
• Location: NMB Sports Complex – Little River, SC
• Records: SUNY Canton (0-2) | Martin Luther (1-2) | Penn State Mont Alto (1-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
GAME 1 – BOX SCORE

• The Roos had plenty of positives in their first inning of the season, giving starting pitcher Sydney Tanner lots of early run support.
• Molly Dowson had the first RBI of the game with a base hit to bring home Ace Rodgers. After Ava Bouchey singled, Brigette Fox ripped a double into the right center gap, scoring two more as the Roos put on a 3-spot in the top of the first inning.
• Martin Luther got one run in the bottom of the frame with a triple followed by a sacrifice fly as it was now 3-1 SUNY Canton.
• In the third, Bouchey singled through the right side, then Fox went opposite field again with a run-scoring triple for her second extra base hit and third RBI of the morning.
• However, the Knights responded again with another run in the bottom of the third, this time off of two singles and another sac fly to make the game 4-2.
• The Roos maintained their 2-run advantage until the bottom of the fifth, when the Knights broke out the bats with three hits including two doubles, a couple perfectly executed stolen bases and scoring four times to take a 6-4 lead.
• Martin Luther added to their lead in the sixth, taking a 9-4 lead off their eighth unanswered run.
• Offense beyond the fourth was hard to come by for the Roos, with a double by Rylynn Martin-McIntyre in the fourth, then Arianna Stelle singling in the sixth, but nothing came of either of those hits.
• SUNY Canton fell short once again in the seventh despite Adrianna Mathusa and Dowson reaching with a single and a walk, respectively. A flyball concluded the Roos first game of the season, falling short by a final score of 9-4.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Fox keyed the Roos offense with a double plus a triple to log three RBIs in her collegiate debut. Bouchey had two hits as well while Marquart and Martin-McIntyre each doubled in the loss.
• Tanner battled through 5.1 innings in her Roos debut, allowed five earned runs. Freshman Arianna Steele got some action with 0.2 innings pitched.
• On the Knights side, Kiara Humann and Rachel McCaughna both pitched in with two hits. Keightan Rank pitched the entire game for Martin Luther, allowing just one earned run despite nine hits from the Roos.
• SUNY Canton outhit the Knights 9-6 but did commit three errors and left seven on base.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
GAME 2 – BOX SCORE
 

• Both teams planned one run in the first inning. Marquart led off the top of the first with a single for the Roos, then stole second. Dowson drove her comrade in with a base hit and visiting SUNY Canton jumped out to a 1-0 advantage. The Nittany Lions scored off a walk and a double.
• However, in the bottom of the second inning Mont Alto, did some serious damage. Several hits coupled with some walks and some stolen bases made the score 8-1 when the inning was all said and done.
• SUNY Canton tried to chip away a bit with a single by Marquart in the third, who advanced to third on a misplayed ball, then Adrianna Mathusa drove her in off of a wild pitch.
• To begin the fourth, Fox walked, then Steele helped her case on the mound with a double down the right field line. Fox went on to score off a wild pitch, and Steele made it home after an RBI single by Marquart as the game was now 9-4.  
• Mont Alto was able to plate threes more runs in the game, and the first day of the Roos season concluded with an 11-4 defeat to the Nittany Lions.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Marquart had an RBI, a stolen base, and three hits in the second game to total four base knocks across the two games on the day. Dowson was a perfect 2-for-2 against the Nittany Lions with a run batted in.
• Fox and Steele split the pitching duties in the second game with Fox going 1.2 innings, and Steele amassing 2.2.
• Eight of the nine spots in the batting order for Mont Alto had hits, led by Terry Williams who was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles. Alexis Thompson went the distance on the mound for the Nittany Lions, going five innings with three earned runs and eight punchouts.
• Hits in the contest were 11-8 in favor of Mont Alto. The Roos left five on base while the Nittany Lions left on four.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Roos are off tomorrow but will play two more on Wednesday, March 11, starting against the King's Monarchs at 11 a.m. followed by the Nittany Lions of PSU DuBois at 1 p.m.
   

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