GAME 1 BOX SCORE  /  GAME 2 BOX SCORE

Bismarck, ND – A stellar relief performance by Emily Sinclair sparked the University of Mary softball team to a win in game one before Northern State University stunned the Marauders with a big seventh inning rally during the nightcap. U-Mary captured the opener 3-2 and Northern State won game two of this Northern Sun doubleheader 6-4.
 
Entering the game in the fourth inning and the Marauders (12-9 overall, 3-3 NSIC) trailing 2-0 with two runners on base and no outs, Sinclair retired the first eight Wolves (12-14, 3-3) batters she faced and 12 of 14 overall. In four innings of work the senior from Chahalis, WA, allowed one hit and one walk with three strikeouts.
 
U-Mary scratched across two unearned runs in the fourth inning. Brooke Hageness opened with a single, moved to second on a ground out and to third base on a single by Melissa Gonzalez. Hageness scored the Marauders first run when the Wolves third baseman threw the ball away attempting to throw out Gonzalez in a rundown. After taking third base on a ground out, Gonzalez scored the tying game when an illegal pitch was called on the Wolves.
 
Another unearned run would win the game for the Marauders. Jenna Button hit a one-out single and Jessica Alvarado followed with a single down the left field line. The Wolves second baseman then booted a ground ball, allowing Button to score the winning run.
 
Button and Alvarado both had two hits for the Marauders as U-Mary combined for seven.
 
After a clean defensive game in the opener, the Marauders made four errors and allowed two unearned runs in a 6-4 game two loss. U-Mary committed three errors and walked two hitters in the pivitol seventh inning when the Marauders gave up four runs to blow a two-run lead.
 
The Marauders opened the scoring in the first inning as Button led off with a double and scored on a single by Hageness. The Wolves would later use two hits and a Marauders error to grab a 2-1 lead in the fourth.
 
U-Mary quickly responded in the bottom of the inning when freshman Kristin Ormsby launched a 3-run blast over the left centerfield fence for a 4-2 Marauders lead. It was the freshman's first collegiate home run.
 
With relief help from Erin Keen, the Marauders seemed in control after six innings. Entering the final stanza, Keen had retired eight of the last nine hitters she faced. Northern State suddenly found its offense in the seventh as the Wolves converted three hits, three Marauders errors and two walks into four runs. Kelsey Robling hit a two-run single to tie the game and Whitney Luring followed with a two-run double to win the game.
 
The Wolves used two tremendous defensive plays in the seventh to eliminate the Marauders hopes of a rally. A diving backhanded grab by shortstop Brooke Norris robbed Button of what looked like a leadoff hit and Caitlin Moran started a double play on a hard hit ball by Allison Brown to end the game.
 
Hageness led the Marauders with two hits in the second game.
 
Continuing on after her relief effort in the opener, Sinclair allowed one earned run in 4.2 innings. She struck out six, walked three and gave up five hits.
 
After playing six straight at home, the Marauders embark on a 10-game road trip. The first stop is St. Cloud State on March 31.
 
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