BISMARCK, N.D. – A dominant pitching effort by freshman
Jake Johnson against one of the leading teams in the Northern Sun carried the University of Mary to a home split against the University of Minnesota Duluth. The Marauders captured the opener 2-1 on a two-hit complete game by Johnson. The 3
rd-place Bulldogs took the nightcap 7-0.
Just three days after picking up his first collegiate win, Johnson earned his second victory with a tremendous performance against the Bulldogs. Facing one of the best hitting teams in the Northern Sun, the right-hander allowed just two hits while pitching his first complete game.
Johnson put an exclamation mark on the Marauders win when he struck out Spencer Diedrich to end the game, his second strikeout in the seventh inning and eighth of the game, tying his career high. The Cambridge, Minn., walked four.
With runners on the corners with two outs in the third inning,
Ethan Meide and
Sean Hennen successfully executed a double steal for the first run of the game. Hennen raced towards second base but pulled up when the throw came towards the bag. Meide broke for home on the initial throw and easily beat the return toss to cross the plate for a 1-0 Mary lead.
A leadoff double by Minnesota Duluth second baseman Jimmy Heck in the fifth inning, followed by a run-scoring single down the left field line by Grant Farley, allowed the Bulldogs to knot the game at 1-1. The rally was quickly extinguished as Johnson struck out two of the last three batters in the inning.
Meide and
Mason Schiff combined for the Marauders winning run in the fifth. Following a one out walk to Meide, Schiff doubled down the left field line to score Meide from first base for a 2-1 Mary lead.
Johnson made the lead hold, retiring the Bulldogs in order in the sixth. He allowed a two-out walk in the seventh before striking out Diedrich to end the game.
Meide, who reached base on a walk and was hit by a pitch, scored both runs in the game and stole a base.
Matthew Frederick took a tough loss for UMD, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks in 4.2 innings.
The Bulldogs wasted no time grabbing a lead in the second game. The third batter of the game, Alex Wojciechowski, hit a two-run home run over the left field wall. A Mary fielding error then allowed a third run to score in the first.
A Josh Denison solo home run with two outs in the second pushed the Bulldogs advantage to 4-0.
The Marauders posted two of their six hits in the second inning but a double play ended the scoring threat. Mary left two runners on in each of the fourth and fifth innings before a wicked
Cory Dixon liner was turned into another double play in the sixth.
Clay Bassingthwaite and
Drew Feuerbach both finished the game 2-for-4 for the Marauders.
Sean Hennen was 1-for-2 with two walks.
Denisen led the Bulldogs with two hits in five at bats, scoring twice and driving in a run on his round tripper.
Austin Vaske combined with three relievers for the shutout. Vaske tossed six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and four walks while striking out five.
The Marauders (8-34 overall, 6-22 NSIC) and the Bulldogs (26-12, 20-8) finish off their four game set on Sunday, April 26, with a doubleheader at 12 noon. Mary will honor its two seniors and all the player's parents.
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