Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Clermont, Fla.—Despite sloppy field conditions, the University of Mary softball team (13-7) picked up a pair of wins Friday at the Dot Richardson Spring Games. U-Mary opened with a 7-1 win over Lake Erie College (1-7) and closed with an 8-5 win over Gannon University (4-4).
 
Erin Keen picked up a pair of wins on the day for the Marauders pitching 11.2 innings while allowing just two earned runs and striking 12. Amber Gamboa paced U-Mary's offense going 4-for-6 with four runs scored and two batted in.
 
Game 1: U-Mary 7 Lake Erie 1
 
Making solid contact all game, it took a six-run sixth inning for U-Mary to defeat Lake Erie 7-1 Friday morning. The Marauders delivered six hits and drew two walks as they sent 10 batters to the plate in their six-run sixth inning.
 
Gamboa keyed U-Mary's offensive effort going 2-for-3 with two RBI. Alana Norman and Julissa Perales also had two hits for the Marauders. Norman added three stolen bases and Perales an RBI.
 
Keen got the win for U-Mary going the distance while allowing one earned run and striking out seven.
 
The Storm drew first blood as a two-out bunt single was followed by an RBI double in the third inning. The Marauders would not answer until the fifth inning when Gamboa singled and advanced to second before Keen hit an RBI single to right field.
 
Norman led off the sixth inning with a bunt single that sparked a five-hit six-run rally. After Kristin Ormsby walked, Perales singled to left to score Norman and Taylor Mendez followed with a single to right to score Ormsby. Next up, Gamboa drilled a two RBI single to center and was followed by Allison Brown, who delivered a two RBI double to give the Marauders a 7-1 lead.
 
Keen struck out two in the sixth and sent down Lake Erie in order in the seventh to finish of the Storm.
 
Game 2: U-Mary 8 Gannon 5
 
Again in the second game U-Mary got off to a slow start and again a late inning rally led them to victory in game against Gannon. The Marauders trailed 4-2 until a five-hit, five-run fifth inning propelled them to an 8-5 win.
 
Hitless in four games coming into the match-up with Gannon, Demaree Rodriguez got back on track going 2-for-4 with three RBI. Gamboa, Mendez and Norman each added two hits for U-Mary.
 
MeLanie Rodriguez got the start for the Marauders, but was relieved by Keen. Keen pitched 4.2 innings with five strikeouts and allowed just one earned run as she picked up her sixth win of the season.
 
After both teams went down in order in the first inning, U-Mary scored a pair of runs in the second. With two outs Gamboa doubles and Villalobos followed with a bunt single. D. Rodriguez put the Marauders on the board with a two RBI single to center.
 
The Knights led off the bottom of the inning with a triple, but were unable to score.
 
Gannon broke through in the third with a lead off home run that was followed two batters later by a two-run shot, both of which were to left field. The Knights added one more run in the inning with a single and a double to take a 4-2 lead after three innings.
 
The Marauders led off the fourth with back-to-back hits, but stranded both.
 
U-Mary's offense finally got going in the fifth inning as a lead off double by Brown ignited a five-run, five-hit rally for the Marauders. Next Norman singled and was followed by a single from Ormsby that scored Brown.  Norman would score on a throwing error. With one out, Mendez took her first pitch to left field for another run. After a Gamboa walk, D. Rodriguez provided an RBI single and U-Mary added their final run on a fielder's choice to take a 7-4 lead.
 
Gannon added an unearned run in the fifth, but Keen held the Knight's offense at bay striking out three of their final six batters to seal a victory for the Marauders.
 
Each recording hits in both game Norman and Brown each extended double-digit hitting streaks. Norman now has a team-best 17-game hitting streak and Brown a career-best 15-game hitting streak.
 
Up Next
 
After a pair of wins Friday, the Marauders improved to 8-2 during their time at the Dot Richardson Spring games with four games left to play. U-Mary will be back in action Saturday as it takes on Saint Anselm College at 9 a.m. and Holy Family University at 11 a.m. (CT). Follow along with livestats at goumary.com/coverage.
 
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