TUCSON, Ariz. – A lights out relief effort by
Zach Steckler secured the University of Mary baseball team's first win of the year and ensured a doubleheader split against Malone University. On the first day of the Marauders spring break trip, U-Mary dropped the opener 11-6 before rebounding to win game two 4-3 in Tucson, Ariz.
GAME 1: Malone 11 U-Mary 6
After exploding for four runs in the first inning, the Marauders hitters were silenced by the Pioneers relief corps in an 11-6 loss.
Trailing 3-0 after the top of the first, an RBI double by
Sean Hennen, two bases loaded walks and a run scoring single by
Seth Meide pushed the Marauders in front 4-3 at the end of one inning.
After the Pioneers scored twice in both the second and the fourth to push Malone ahead 7-4, an unearned run by U-Mary in the bottom of four closed the gap to two. Two more runs by the Pioneers in both the sixth and seventh innings pushed the game out of reach for the Marauders.
Hennen paced the U-Mary offense with two hits in four at bats, both doubles. He drove in two runs and scored one.
Cory Dixon scored twice.
Malone's Matt Wheeler led all players with four hits. He scored four times and drove in two runs. Hayden Mobley had two hits and drove in four runs and Matt Davis posted three hits and three RBIs.
Relief pitchers Gunnar Smeyres and Jordan Knight combined to strike out 13 hitters in 6.1 innings. Neither allowed an earned run.
GAME 2: U-Mary 4 Malone 3
Taking advantage of three defensive misplays by the Pioneers, the Marauders edged Malone 4-3 for U-Mary's first win of the season.
In a game knotted at 2-2,
Trenten Hove hit a one-out single down the left field line in the fifth inning. With two outs,
Seth Meide singled through the box to push Hove to third. After Meide stole second to put both runners in scoring position,
Sean Hennen followed with a chopper to the hole on the right side. Both Malone fielders went for the ball, forcing pitcher Joshua Hurford to cover first. Second baseman Tyler Eagan made an errant throw past Hurford, allowing both Hove and Meide to score for a 4-2 Marauders lead.
The Pioneers struck back with one run in the fifth. Hayden Mobley scored on a ground ball by Ryan Froman with two outs, forcing starting pitcher
Nicholas Stobbe from the game. With
Zach Steckler now on the hill,
Tom Imholte ended the inning by throwing out Frome trying to steal second on a spectacular tag by
Mason Schiff.
Steckler preserved the Marauders lead with a pair of shutout innings. After allowing a one out walk in the sixth, the inning concluded on a double play ball to third.
Drew Feuerbach hit Meide to force baserunner Tyler Eagon at second. As Meide attempted to turn and throw, Eagon made contact with the Marauders defender and was called for interference with the hitter ruled out at first.
In the seventh, Steckler opened the inning with a strikeout. After allowing a base hit, he recorded another strikeout before inducing the last batter to fly out to right for the final out of the game.
In 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, Steckler allowed one hit, one walk and struck out three for his first save.
Hove reached base in all three of his plate appearances with two hits, including a triple, and a walk. The sophomore outfielder also scored two runs.
Meide added two hits in four at bats, including a double. He scored once, drove in a run and stole a base.
Matt Wheeler and Davis both had two hits for Malone. Fromen knocked in two runs.
The Marauders are 1-5. The Pioneers are 1-3. Both teams play again on Monday, March 2.
U-Mary next takes the field against the College of Idaho on Sunday, March 1.
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