ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Frustratingly close to what would have been one of the biggest wins in University of Mary baseball history, 2
nd ranked St. Cloud State University needed a two-out, two-run triple n the ninth to force extra innings in a 5-4 Huskies win over the Marauders in the final game of the day. SCSU rolled to a 10-0 win over visiting U-Mary in the opener.
U-Mary (3-31 overall, 1-19 Northern Sun) built 3-0 and 4-2 leads in the nightcap but just missed upsetting SCSU (35-3, 19-3) when Michael Jurgella hit an opposite field triple into the right field corner, scoring two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.
Moving from center field to the mound to start the ninth, Marauders number one starter
McKeon Meyhoff gave up a leadoff single before inducing a ground ball force out. The junior lefty followed with a strikeout for the second out but SCSU's Brandon Arnold kept the Huskies hopes alive with a bleeder through the left side for a single. McKeon then got ahead in the count on Jurgella before the SCSU catcher hit a ball just over the glove of the Marauders first baseman for a three base hit with two strikes. Meyhoff stranded Jurgella at third when Zak Hoffman grounded out to
Clay Bassingthwaite at first.
SCSU won the game in the tenth. Following a leadoff double by Karl Sorensen off U-Mary freshman
Jake Johnson and a walk to Sam Boisner, Reese Gregory hit a run-scoring single to win the game.
Seth Meide opened the scoring with an RBI single in the fifth. A two-run single by
Sean Hennen boosted U-Mary's lead to 3-0.
After a Zak Hoffman two-run home run in the sixth, U-Mary punched across what the squad hoped was an insurance run when Meyhoff walked, stole second and scored on a St. Cloud State error.
Mason Schiff went 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Marauders offense.
Freshman lefty
Austin Ell kept the Huskies in check through the first five innings. He allowed two hits, three walks and no runs while striking out one. Also,
Nicholas Stobbe and
Kenny Slominski both threw scoreless innings of relief.
Sorensen was 3-for-5 with two runs scored for SCSU.
The opener was all Huskies. Garrett Harrisson allowed six hits and three walks in throwing a 10-0 seven inning shutout over the Marauders. Hoffman was 3-for-3 with two home runs, three runs scored and five RBIs. Gregory finished 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and two runs driven in.
Brett Doepker had two hits in three at bats for U-Mary.
The Marauders remain on the road with a weekend series against the Golden Eagles of the University of Minnesota Crookston.
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