Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Bismarck, ND – A fast start combined with a spectacular catch and clutch relief pitching in the opener led the University of Mary baseball team to a split with Bemidji State University on Military Appreciation Day. The Marauders captured the first game 7-4 before the Beavers narrowly won game two 6-5.
 
The Marauders (8-32 overall, 7-19 NSIC) opened the day's scoring with a three run outburst in the second and three more in the third.  A safety squeeze by Sam Ingemansen with the bases full brought home the first run and Alex Deyle followed with a two-run single to right center.
 
After the Beavers (18-22, 11-15) posted a single run in the top of the third, the Marauders responded with three in the bottom of the inning. An error by Bemidji State to start the inning opened the door for U-Mary. Steve Pletan grounded a single through the left side to score one run. A passed ball brought home a second run for U-Mary. Ingemansen closed the rally with a two-out RBI single, increasing the Marauders advantage to 6-1.
 
The lead jumped to 7-1 in the fourth on a base hit by James Carroll.
 
Kyle Lozensky held the Beavers in check before Bemidji State tagged him three times in the fifth to scramble within 7-4. After Jaryd Marks singled home two runs and Mauricio Gomez drove in one, Brad Horan entered the game with two outs and two runners on to face Zach Braun.
 
The Beavers catcher drove a Horan pitch deep to right field where Michael Stevenson made the defensive play of the year for the final out of the inning and prevent at least two runs from scoring. The Marauders right fielder dove for a ball over his head and rammed his body head first into the base of the right field fence while somehow holding onto the ball. Stevenson would walk off the field under his own power but he didn't return to the game.  
 
Sam Salveson shut out the Beavers in the sixth inning and retired the first hitter of the seventh. He struck out Logan Kalis but the Beavers first baseman reached base when the wild pitch went to the backstop. A Marks single to right put runners on the corner. Freshman lefty Travis Famias came on and retired the next two hitters and pick up his team-leading third save of the season.
 
Cory Herback led the Marauders with three hits and two runs scored. Kyal Williams walked three times and scored twice. Ingemansen and Deyle each drove in two runs.
 
Marks paced BSU with two hits and two RBI and Kean Paxton had two hits and scored twice.
 
Bemidji State took an early lead in game two. The Beavers posted four runs in the third inning, two the result of a Marauders error. Kalis hit a bases loaded triple and scored on a Marks groundout for a 4-0 lead. Another run in the fourth pushed the Beavers lead to 5-0.
 
U-Mary closed the gap with four runs in the fourth. Pletan crushed a bases loaded triple and scored on a single up the middle by Duane Kiyota, Jr.
 
The Marauders were unable to catch up after the Beavers scored a run in the 5^th for a 6-4 lead. A single by Deyle in the eighth scored Pletan but U-Mary was unable to find one more run.
 
Pletan finished the game 2-for-3, scored twice and drove in three runs. Kiyota and Tyler Steffan also had two hits apiece.
 
Kalis had two hits, scored once and drove in three runs for BSU. Lewis Baumann had three hits.
 
Highlighted by the silent auction of camouflage jerseys worn by the U-Mary players in the game and signed baseballs and a jersey, $840 was raised for the Military Ovation Organization during the day.
 
The Marauders continue their home stand when U-Mary hosts Upper Iowa University on Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29.
 
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