POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Marist Red Foxes rallied from a four-run deficit, scoring three times in a chaotic sixth inning to overtake the Saint Peter’s Peacocks 5-4 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference baseball opener Friday at James J. McCann Baseball Field.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded in the evening, saw the visiting Peacocks strike immediately. RJ Azarieh led off the game with a double and scored on Bobby Lavely’s single. Four consecutive batters reached with two outs against Marist starter Will Taylor, culminating in Chase Fogg’s RBI single that plated a second run. The early outburst gave Saint Peter’s a 4-0 lead before Marist recorded its first at-bat.

Marist chipped away, scoring an unearned run in the fourth inning before its decisive rally in the sixth. Trailing 4-2, Luke Monico walked against reliever Joey Tonnotti. After a pitching change, Connor Lawrence delivered an RBI single to score Monico. Lawrence then stole second and scored on Nathan Lincoln’s game-tying single to center field.

The inning continued to unravel for Saint Peter’s. Lincoln advanced to second on a fielding error, to third on a passed ball, and then scampered home on another passed ball to score what proved to be the winning run. The sequence highlighted a difficult defensive day for the Peacocks, who committed three errors and allowed multiple passed balls.

The comeback made a winner of Marist reliever Bobby LeFevre, who tossed two perfect innings with one strikeout after Taylor allowed three earned runs over four innings. Logan Wenzel recorded the final out of the eighth inning for Saint Peter’s to strand the potential insurance run.

Saint Peter’s starter Kurt Thomas was sharp in a no-decision, pitching four innings of no-hit ball and allowing one earned run. His bullpen could not preserve the lead, however.

The Peacocks out-hit the Red Foxes 7-6 but went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. Marist showcased aggressive baserunning, stealing seven bases in the contest.

With the victory, Marist improved to 3-12 overall and 1-0 in the MAAC. Saint Peter’s fell to 2-11 and 0-1. The teams continue their three-game series Saturday.

The most important part of the game was Marist’s three-run sixth inning. It was a protracted, messy rally that shifted the game’s momentum completely. It began with a walk, included a key pitching change, and was fueled by timely hitting from Lawrence and Lincoln. The inning was ultimately decided not by a clean extra-base hit, but by relentless pressure and Saint Peter’s defensive miscues—the critical error, two passed balls, and a stolen base that allowed the go-ahead run to cross on a wild pitch. This half-inning encapsulated the contest, transforming a controlled Saint Peter’s lead into a fragile, and ultimately lost, advantage.