MANKATO, Minn. – An inexperienced University of Mary baseball club took 2014 NCAA semifinalist Minnesota State to the brink twice but fell a single run short both times. The 2^nd ranked Mavericks edged the Marauders 5-4 in extra inning to start the day before nudging the visitor 2-1 in game two of the Northern Sun opener for both squads.
 
Strong starting pitching performances by McKeon Mayhoff and Nicholas Stobbe provided U-Mary two opportunities for wins in a pair of games where Minnesota State was the prohibitive favorite. The youthful Marauders (2-14 overall, 0-2 NSIC) featured just two upperclassmen – both juniors - in the U-Mary batting order against the defending NSIC champion Mavericks (11-2, 2-0).
 
GAME 1: Minnesota State 5 U-Mary 4 (9 innings)
Behind a stellar pitching performance by McKeon Meyhoff, the Marauders pushed the Mavericks to the brink before falling just short 5-4 in extra innings. Scheduled to go seven, a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth scored the winning run for Minnesota State.
 
After throwing a scoreless first inning, Meyhoff was touched for two runs in the second. The Marauders countered with a single run in the third but the Mavericks responded with lone runs in the third and fourth to build a 4-1 advantage. It was the last runs allowed by the junior lefty the rest of the night as Meyhoff then twirled four consecutive scoreless innings.
 
Three hits and a hit batter allowed the Marauders to score three times in the fifth. Drew Fueurbach stroked a one-out single to right field before Ben Hildestad was plunked. Mason Schiff singled to score Fueurbach and a Trenten Hove groundout plated Hildestad. Andrew Beyer's two-out single through the middle scored Schiff to knot the contest 4-4.
 
Meyhoff worked out of a jam by striking out Conner McCallum looking with two on and two out in the fifth. After a 1-2-3 sixth, the Hazen, N.D., native retired the Mavericks on a double play ball in the seventh. His night came to a close after throwing a scoreless eighth where he had to work around a hit and a walk.
 
Other than a walk in the seventh, the Marauders were kept off the bases until the ninth. Freshmen Will Pettener and Brett Doepker hit back-to-back one out singles but U-Mary couldn't push a run across.
 
The Mavericks finished the game in the home half of the ninth inning. Eric Peterson led off with a walk, stole second, moved to third on a groundout to short before scoring the winning run on a single by Max Waletich.
 
Schiff and Hove both had a hit, run scored and an RBI to lead the Marauders offense.
 
Meyhoff pitched a career-high eight innings. He allowed nine hits and walked two while striking out two.
 
Brody Rodning pitched four scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win for MSU. He gave up two hits, one walk and struck out five. 
 
GAME 2: Minnesota State 2 U-Mary 1
Looking for a split on the opening day of NSIC play, the Marauders left the tying and go-ahead runs on base in a 2-1 loss to the Mavericks.
 
Limited to three hits in the first six innings, the Marauders used two hits and a hit batter to score a run in the seventh and throw a scare into the Mavericks.
 
Brett Doepker opened the Marauders last at bat with a single to left. Designated hitter Ben Hildestad was hit by a pitch to move pinch runner AJ Schaefbauer to second. After a pop out, pinch hitter Drew Fueurbach singled to right to score Schaefbauer and advance Hildestad to third.
 
In an attempt to tie the game, Hilderstad was thrown out at home by pitcher Aaron Rozek on a ball put in play by Trenten Hove. With runners on first and second and two outs, Ander Beyer was retired on a grounder to first to end the game.
 
The Mavericks broke up the pitcher's duel between Stobbe and Rozek with a single run in the fourth on a two-out single by Taylor Branstad. Another two-out single, this time by Nolan Johnson in the sixth, scored the Mavericks other run of the game.
 
In firing his first career complete game, Stobbe allowed just two runs on seven hits with no walks in six innings. The sophomore struck out four.
 
Rozek was only slightly better, giving up five hits, one walk and one run while striking out four in seven innings.
 
The Marauders and Mavericks conclude their four game weekend series on Saturday, March 21. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m.
 
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