Live Coverage

UPDATED: Game time for Saturday's doubleheader now set for 3 p.m.

Conference Opener: Behind a six-run inning in the first game and a five-run inning in the second, the University of Mary softball team opened Northern Sun play with a pair of wins Wednesday afternoon. U-Mary (17-9, 2-0 NSIC) used a six-run fourth inning in the first game to defeat Minot State University (13-7, 0-2) 9-2 and a five-run seventh to beat the Beavers 9-6 in the second game.
 
This Weekend: The Marauders will be on the road this weekend for a pair of conference doubleheaders. U-Mary will take on University Sioux Falls at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Southwest Minnesota State University on Sunday at noon.
 
Follow Along: There will be no live coverage for U-Mary's game against Sioux Falls on Saturday. Any updates, if available, will be posted on Twitter @umarysports. U-Mary's game against SMSU will have livestats available at goumary.com/coverage.
 
The Records: The Marauders hold a 17-9 (2-0 NSIC) mark and enter the weekend winners of eight of their last ten games. The Cougars hold a 14-4 (2-0 NSIC) mark and enter the weekend winners of 11 of their last 12 games. The Mustangs hold a 3-15 (0-2 NSIC) mark and enter the weekend losers of five of their last six games.
 
Last Year: The Marauders split with both the Cougars and Mustangs last season in Bismarck.  U-Mary was plagued by six errors that led to nine unearned runs as its fell 16-8 in the opener to Sioux Falls. U-Mary bounced back in game two behind solid defense and a strong outing from Cherlyn Trujillo, who finished with 14 strikeouts. U-Mary issued five walks in the sixth inning of game one against SMSU that lead to a seven run inning as the Marauders fell 8-6. U-Mary rebounded in the second game led by a career-high 16 strikeouts from Trujillo and capped by a walk-off three-run home run from Allison Brown for a 5-3 win.  

Recent History: The Marauders split with the Cougars last season in the teams only meeting since U-Mary left the NAIA in 2006. U-Mary and SMSU have played 15 times since 2007, with the Mustangs holding an 8-7 edge overall. U-Mary has won six of the teams last eight meetings.

Predictions: After finishing ninth in the NSIC last season, U-Mary was selected to finish in ninth again this season. After finishing 13th in the NSIC last season, USF was selected to finish in 13th again this season. Finishing 12th in the NSIC last season, SMSU was selected to finish in 12th again this season.
 
POWx2: A dominant two-week stretch by Allison Brown between Feb. 24 and March 9 yielded U-Mary's slugger back-to-back NSIC Player of the Week honors. During the 17-game stretch, Brown went 28-for-57 with 16 RBI and a .930 slugging percentage. Brown has now won the award four times during her career.
 
Streak: Beginning on Feb. 8 against No. 1 Central Oklahoma, Center fielder Alana Norman began a U-Mary NCAA era record 20-game hitting streak. Norman's streak was snapped on March 9 against Urbana College. During the hitting streak Norman went 31-for-72 with 16 runs scored.
 
Running: With 3.63 stolen bases per game, U-Mary ranks second in the nation. After stealing just 27 bases all of last season, the Marauders have stolen 90 bases through 26 games. Averaging 1.13 stolen bases, Alana Norman ranks fourth in the nation. Allison Brown is not far behind at eighth in the nation with 0.92 stolen bases per game.
 
Balanced Attack: Hitting .343 as a team, U-Mary has five different players hitting .329 or higher and five different players with 16 or more RBI. With a team on base percentage of .405, the Marauders have 10 different players with an on base percentage .333 or above.
 
Filling Holes: The Marauders had holes to fill as they lost two major contributors from a year ago in Jessica Alvarado and Brittney Hadley. Alvarado hit .326 and reached base at a .409 average, while not committing a single error in center field. Hadley provided pop in U-Mary's lineup hitting eight home runs and driving in 37 runs, while hitting .308.
 
Immediate Impact: Losing four starters from a year ago, the Marauders have been forced to rely heavily on freshmen this season. Starting at second base, Francine Villalobos is hitting .281. Starting at catcher, Amber Gamboa is hitting .368 with a .448 on base percentage. Taylor Mendez has platooned between first and outfield and is hitting .329 with four home runs. Finally pitcher MeLanie Rodriguez has a team-low 2.96 ERA including a complete game shutout against USciences.
 
Senior Leadership: U-Mary is led by senior captains Cherlyn Trujillo and Allison Brown. Named NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, is off to a strong start in 2014. With 31 home runs and a career .373 batting average, Brown is U-Mary's top returning hitter.
 
Returners: Aside from the two seniors, U-Mary returns five other starters. Alana Norman, Demaree Rodriguez, Erin Keen, Julissa Perales and Kristin Ormsby all played significant roles last season and will look to do so again this year.
 
1-2 Punch: The combination of Cherlyn Trujillo and Erin Keen have provided a powerful 1-2 punch for the Marauders pitching staff. Trujillo has a 2.12 ERA and has struck out 78 in 82.2 innings of work. After a shaky start, Keen has settled into a groove holding a 2.05 ERA with 58 strikeouts over her last 51.1 innings of work. Keen is 23rd in the NCAA with 8.5 strikeouts per seven innings.
 
Designated Perales: Displaying power last season at catcher hitting seven home runs, Julissa Perales has started all 26 games at DP this season and is hitting .359 with four home runs and 22 RBI.
 
POY: Cherlyn Trujillo found herself among the leaders in the Northern Sun in several statistical categories in her first year with the Marauders last season. As a result, Trujillo was named NSIC Newcomer of the Year. With Trujillo poised to build off of last season's success, she has been named NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
 
On Deck: U-Mary is next scheduled to play on April 1 on the road against University of Minnesota Crookston.

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