BISMARCK, N.D. - The offensive production carried over from the games earlier in the week as the University of Mary Softball team took on Southwest Minnesota State University in another explosive day for both teams.
 
The Marauders (15-20, 4-5 NSIC) had a couple of big blasts in the first game as they defeated the Mustangs (15-15, 4-4 NSIC) 9-5, but the second game was a barnburner as Southwest Minnesota found the spark to defeat U-Mary, 16-9, as the Marauders split the Friday afternoon games.
 
The first game was all about the Marauders as Taylor Mendez wasted little time getting her team on the board with a two-run shot over the left field fence for her team-leading eighth home run of the year. U-Mary has been all about getting on the board first and Mendez kept that pace up early in the first inning.
 
The Mustangs responded quickly, however, as Elissa Reinsma singled to center field to drive in Jazmyne Neely in the top of the second inning, but during the play, Reinsma drew a throw from the catcher, which was errant, and another run scored to tie the game at 2-2. Southwest Minnesota wasn't done in the inning as Reinsma scored on a passed ball and Alysse Luttman reached on an error by the centerfielder, which scored Katelyn Kalkman, to put U-Mary in a 4-2 hole heading into the bottom of the second.
 
The Marauders got one run back in the bottom of the second, as Alana Norman singled to left field to score Colleen Crutchfield, and tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when Demaree Rodriguez laced a hit to center field to score Kristin Ormsby.
 
Julissa Perales gave U-Mary the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when she got a single to center field to score both Mendez and Nena Dudley for a 6-4 advantage heading into the sixth inning.
 
Southwest Minnesota kept the game interesting as they got one more run in the top of the sixth inning when Luttmann reached on a throwing error that allowed Reinsma to score and cut into the Marauder lead at 6-5, forcing Head Coach KJ Kelley to pull Dudley from the game and place MeLanie Rodriguez in the circle to close out the game.
 
MeLanie got some help in the bottom of the sixth when Mendez sent a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Norman, and Amber Gamboa followed that up with a two-run shot over the left center field fence to put the score at 9-5 in favor of U-Mary.
 
The Mustangs were threatening to add a few more runs to their total in the seventh with a lead off single from Neely, but MeLanie forced a fly out and a couple of fielder's choice groundballs to end the game and make the score final at 9-5.
 
Mendez finished the game with one hit, but it proved to be a monster of a hit as she also had three RBI and drew one walk in the game while scoring twice.
 
Dudley put in a complete effort in every phase as she finished with three hits, all singles, along with three runs score and a stolen base. While in the circle, she earned the win to improve her record to 12-9 while she struck out seven batters and only gave up two walks. She did not allow an earned run, as every runner that scored was a result of an error.
 
Ormsby brought her average up as she got two hits in the game, one of which was a double, along with one run scored.
 
Norman added a couple more hits to her total as she got two more in the game alone with a run score but couldn't find time to get a stolen base in.
 
The Marauders had 13 hits as a team in the first game.
 
The second game of the day turned into a hitter's dream as Southwest Minnesota got on the board in the first inning after drawing a couple walks to load the bases with nobody out. Kailey Hanson got the ball rolling with a walk of her own to bring in the first run, Neely brought in two more with a single through the left side of the infield, Hanson scored as Neely drew the throw on a stolen base, and Neely herself crossed the plate after Megan Bunting doubled to left center. By the time the dust settled, U-Mary was staring at a 5-0 deficit heading into the bottom of the first.
 
Perales wouldn't let the score faze her as she singled to left center in her at bat to drive in Mendez and Dudley and cut the lead down to 5-2 heading into the second inning.  Southwest Minnesota got the two runs back as Hanson had a two-run home run to re-extend the lead back out to 7-2.
 
The Marauders responded in kind in the bottom of the second as Mendez kept her production up with a double to straight away center field that hit the fence and scored Norman to narrow the lead down to 7-3. Gamboa followed that up with a single to right field that scored both Dudley and Mendez to put the score at 7-5 in favor of the Mustangs.
 
Ormsby decided it was her time to add another run to the score as her single to left field brought in Gamboa and she ended up at second after the throw while Perales ended up at third. Demaree kept the momentum going with a ground ball to the shortstop that was bobbled and allowed Perales to score. Finally, Francine Villalobos brought in Ormsby with a double to right field to put the score at 8-7 as U-Mary fought their way back into the game.
 
Southwest Minnesota kept their production going in the fourth inning as Hanson singled to left field that scored Kaitlyn Kalkman to tie the game; Neely continued to be a thorn in the Marauder's side with another single through the left side to score Madisson Chadwick to regain the lead for the Mustangs, and Neely's stolen base allowed Hanson to score to extend Southwest Minnesota's lead to 10-8 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
The Marauders were unable to get any runs back in the fourth or fifth innings, but the Mustangs added more to their total in the top of the sixth when Luttmann scored on a wild pitch while Neely sent a sacrifice fly to right field to score Chadwick and put the lead at 12-8 heading into the seventh inning.
 
The statement hit of the game came from Chadwick in the top of the seventh as she sent a blast to center field with the bases loaded and the grand slam took all the wind out of the sails for U-Mary as they were looking at a 16-8 deficit going into the last inning.
 
The Marauders got one more run for their total in the seventh when Gamboa had a pop fly to center field to score Norman, but the rally couldn't get off the starting blocks as the final out of the game came on a ground ball to the second baseman to end the game and make the score final at 16-9.
 
U-Mary had 14 hits as a team in the second game, 12 of which came from five different players.
 
Mendez had three hits on the day, two singles and a double, to go with one RBI and two runs scored.
 
Ormsby also had three hits, all singles, to go with one RBI and one run scored.
 
Gamboa had two hits, both singles, with three RBI, one run and a sacrifice fly.
 
Perales got two hits, both singles, to go with two RBI and one run.
 
Rounding out the multi-hit batters, Villalobos finished with two hits, one double and one single, along with an RBI and sacrifice hit.
 
Dudley had one hit on the game to go with two runs scored, while Norman had a hit to go with two runs along with one walk.
 
The Marauders have one more doubleheader on the weekend, as they'll take on the University of Sioux Falls tomorrow afternoon, starting at 12:00 PM.
 
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