CLERMONT, Fla. - Finally getting back onto the diamond after the previous day's games were cancelled due to inclement weather, the University of Mary took on Grand Valley State University in a double header for day three of the Dot Richardson Spring Games.
 
The Marauders (2-8) had an opportunity in both games to come away with the win, but the Lakers (6-1) were able to hold on for the win as U-Mary fell in both games to the Great Lakes Conference team.
 
Due to the rainy conditions from yesterday, the field had to be dried over the course of many hours prior to the game, and because of that, both contests turned into pitcher's duels.
 
The Marauders got their first hit of the first game in the bottom of the second as Taylor Mendez sent a hard shot down the right field line, but she was stranded at first base by the end of the inning.
 
The brunt of the battle came between Nena Dudley and Sara Andrasik as both pitchers were giving the batters nothing to work with through most of the game. The Lakers finally broke the drought in the top of the fifth inning, as the Marianne Deppe reached on an error by Mendez on a groundball that hit her glove but she couldn't gather herself in time for the throw. Deppe was out on the following at bat as a fielder's choice groundball from Tanner Kiessel meant the Lakers had a runner on first with one out.
 
Teagan Shomin popped up on the following at bat and Kiessel ended up at second after a passed ball, but an RBI double from Kelsey Dominguez to left field opened up the scoring as Grand Valley State took a 1-0 lead. The Lakers added to it with a Jenna Lenza single to left field, scoring Dominguez and putting the score at 2-0 with U-Mary on the negative end. The Marauders finally got out of the inning without any added damage, even after two consecutive walks loaded up the bases, when Kaylie Rhynard flied out to left field.
 
The Marauders had runners on the bottom of the fifth but weren't able to get any runs across the plate, but thankfully they got out of the top of the sixth with a 1-2-3 inning from Dudley.
 
U-Mary had a rally going in the bottom of the sixth as Alana Norman led off the inning with a single to shortstop and beat out the throw. Norman stole second in the next at bat and ended up at third after Kristin Ormsby grounded out to first base for the first out. Julissa Perales drew a walk in her at bat and after Lex Hubbard came in to pinch run for her, Hubbard stole second base on a delayed steal. Amber Gamboa was up next for the Marauders and drove a run home despite grounding out to second base for the second out, but the rally was cut short as Mendez grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning with the Marauders down 2-1.
 
U-Mary kept the score the same after the Laker's half of the seventh inning and the Marauders were hoping to keep the game alive in the bottom of the seventh. Two quick outs started the Marauder's at bat and Nicole O'Haver came in to pinch hit and drew a walk for the potential tying run. Dudley was up next and singled to left field, advancing O'Haver to second base, but with two out and two runners on, the Marauder's comeback was drastically cut short in a unfortunate turn of events.
 
Alana Norman came up to bat and, being the slapper that she is, tried to lay down a slap bunt. The pitch, however, came of the bat and stayed in the air just long enough for McKenze Supernaw to snag it and end the rally, handing U-Mary their seventh loss of the year.
 
For the second game between the teams, U-Mary was the visitor on the scoreboard while Grand Valley State was the home team, and for the most part the gamed turned into another pitcher's duel.
 
Neither team could get any runners across the plate for the first half of game two and the Lakers broke the tie, again, in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
Ellie Balbach led the inning off with a double down the right field line, and since Dudley also got the start for this game she was pulled immediately after and MeLanie Rodriguez came in to pitch for the Marauders. Supernaw sent a shot up the middle, scoring Balbach. Rhynard singled off a bunt to the third baseman to put runners at the corners with no outs.
 
Ormsby made a great play in the following at bat for the Marauders as she snagged at hard shot from Heather Sperlazzo down the third base line, tagged out Supernaw and through out Sperlazzo at first. Rhynard advanced to second on the play but when the dust settled, there were two out and a runner on second. Rhynard advanced to third on the next at bat as Deppe singled to left field, putting runners again at the corners with two out.
 
Rhynard ended up scoring anyways as Kiessel singled to left field, putting the score at 2-0, and the Marauders finally got out of the inning two batters later when Dominguez flied out to centerfield.
 
The score remain unchanged for the next two innings and again, U-Mary went into their last at bat looking to tie the score. Colleen Crutchfield kick started a rally as she beat out a groundball to the shortstop. After Alexandra McDermott pinch ran for Crutchfield, Ormsby had a patient at bat and singled to center field, putting runners at first and second with no outs. Hubbard came in to pinch run for Ormsby and Erin Keen sent a fly ball to center field that was deep enough to move both runners up a base. Demaree Rodriguez came in to pinch hit for the Marauders and got McDermott across despite grounding out to the shortstop, putting the score at 2-1. Up next was Gamboa, who was pinch hitting in this game, and she flied out to right field as U-Mary fell in the second game to Grand Valley State, 2-1.
 
The Marauders will have tomorrow off and return to the diamond on Tuesday, March 3, where they'll take on Walsh University and Southern Wesleyan University, starting at 2 p.m. CDT.
 
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