Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Bismarck, ND – A promising start soon went sideways in the opener and a game two rally started too late as the University of Mary was swept at home by Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun baseball. The Mustangs defeated the Marauders 4-1 in the opener and held on to a 12-9 victory in game two.
 
Following a 1-2-3 top of the first in game one, Tyler Steffan led off with a double for the Marauders (5-27 overall, 4-12 NSIC). A walk to Cory Herback followed and both runners were sacrificed into scoring position. However, the Marauders failed to push across a run.
 
The Mustangs (18-11, 8-6) would open the scoring in the second, plating two runs on a two-out single by Mark Hanson. SMSU pushed its advantage to 3-0 on a sacrifice fly in the third and added a two-out run-scoring single in the sixth.
 
After leaving runners on base in every inning but one and in scoring position three times in five innings, the Marauders finally plated a run in the sixth on a leadoff home run to left field by Cory Herback.
 
Down 4-1 in the seventh, Duane Kiyota, Jr. led off with a single to center but that was as far as U-Mary could go.
 
Steffan had two of the Marauders six hits. The Mustangs also had six hits, all by different players.
 
Jeff Skadeland took the loss for the Marauders, striking out four hitters and allowing five hits in 5.1 innings. Sam Salveson finished the game for U-Mary and recorded three strikeouts in 1.1 innings.
 
Ben Bartling earned the win, allowing one run and six hits in six innings.
 
Both offenses took center stage in the second game with the Mustangs edging the Marauders 18-17 in hits as SMSU captured the contest 12-9. This was the second time in four games U-Mary recorded 17 hits.
 
SMSU started fast, scoring five in the first and two in the second and the Mustangs 7-1 lead turned into an 11-2 advantage. U-Mary would score single runs in five of the first seven innings but was unable to post a crooked number until scoring four times in the eighth inning and climbing within 12-9.
 
The Marauders had opportunities to close even tighter but left the bases full in the seventh and stranded two runners in the eighth.
 
Kyal Williams led the Marauders with four hits in five at bats. He scored twice and walked once. Kiyota and Christopher Jolly both had three hits and Marice Burrough and Steffan both recorded two hits. Steffan hit a home run and drove in two. James Carroll also homered in the game.
 
Brian Ness had four hits for SMSU, scoring three times and driving in two. Five Mustangs had two hits.
 
The Marauders and the Mustangs close out their four game set on Sunday, April 15, at 12 noon.
 
#marauders#