BISMARCK, N.D. – Pairing an overwhelming offensive performance with another dominant start by right-hander
Jake Johnson, the University of Mary posted a double-digit win over the University of Sioux Falls to earn a doubleheader split on the opening day of Northern Sun play. After a late rally fell short in a 5-4 loss to the Cougars in the first game, the Marauders rolled to a 15-5 win in the nightcap.
The Marauders (3-11 overall / 1-1 NSIC) struck early and often to open game two, knocking our Cougars (7-11 / 1-1) starter Dan Johnson in the first inning.
Andrew Beyer led off the game with an infield single and moved to second on a poor throw to first base.
Jason Shaul was hit by a pitch,
Brad Meyer walked to load the bases and
Will Pettener followed with a single to left field to score Beyer with the opening run. After a wild pitch scored Shaul,
Drew Feuerbach doubled home Meyer and Pettener with a long blast to left center that one-hopped to the wall for a 4-0 U-Mary lead.
Johnson then walked the next two Marauders before getting pulled from the game. Kaleb White came aboard and retired U-Mary without allowing any further runs in the inning. He would keep the Marauders off the board the next three innings, too.
While White held the Marauders in check, Johnson was dominating the Cougars. The nation's leader WHIP and fewest hits allowed per nine innings allowed just one hit the first three innings and struck out five.
Sioux Falls finally reached Johnson in the fourth inning. After Matthew Minnick walked to open the inning, freshman first baseman Josh Rehwaldt rocketed a 2-run home run over the right field wall for the only runs of the game allowed by Johnson.
The Marauders got the two runs back in the sixth inning on back-to-back run scoring singles by Shaul and Meyer for a 6-2 U-Mary lead.
Johnson closed the game strong, retiring the Cougars in order in the sixth inning. For the day, the sophomore from Cambridge, Minnesota, struck out a career-high nine batters and allowed just four hits and two walks to earn his first win of the season.
The Marauders closed the game out in style, scoring in each of the next three innings and four straight innings, total. A
Seth Meide sacrifice bunt scored U-Mary's lone run in the seventh while a Pettener sacrifice fly and a wild pitch tacked on two more runs in the eighth. After USF scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth, U-Mary entered the ninth leading 9-4.
Not done for the night, the Marauders scored six more times. An infield hit by Feuerbach drove in the first run before Schiff, batting with the bases loaded, was hit by a pitch to force home another run. Meide then wiped the bases clear with a grand slam home run over the left field fence. It was the first collegiate home run for the Wahpeton, N.D., native.
U-Mary totaled 14 hits in the win. The Marauders were also hit seven times by pitches and received 12 walks.
Feuerbach paced the Marauders with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate, scoring three runs and driving home three. Beyer, Meyer, Pettener and Imholte also had two hits for U-Mary. Meide led the team with five RBIs while Beyer, Shaul, Meyer and Pettener all scored twice. Also all U-Mary starters had at least one hit.
Additionally,
Clay Bassingthwaite reached base safely in all six plate appearances. He had one hit, walked three times and was hit twice by a pitched ball.
As fast as the Marauders started in the nightcap, U-Mary started just as slow in the opener. Down 3-0 after USF scored single runs in the second, third and fourth innings, U-Mary scored twice in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Meide and a sacrifice bunt by Imholte drove in the second run.
USF pushed its lead to 5-2 after six innings, setting up a need for the Marauders to score at least three runs in the seventh inning to stay alive. Following a one out walk to Schiff and an infield single by Meide,
Trenten Hove knocked a pinch-hit single up the middle to score Schiff. After a wild pitch advanced the runners into scoring position, Imholte scored Meide on a sacrifice fly to close the gap to 5-4. With Hove on second, Shaul earned a walk before the rally and the game ended on a fly ball to right by Meyer.
Schiff and Meide both finished 2-for-2 with Schiff scoring twice and Meide scoring once and driving home one run. Imholte had two RBIs.
Trevor Crow drove in two runs for USF while Rewaldt, Rob Johnson and Connor Merriam all had two hits.
Dylan Gavin earned the win for the Cougars, allowing just two runs on five hits in five innings, walking one and striking out four.
McKeon Meyhoff threw a complete game for U-Mary, allowing 10 hits but no walks with two strikeouts.
A series originally scheduled for Sioux Falls on March 25-26, poor weather conditions forced moving the games to Bismarck. In hopes of beating potential bad weather in Bismarck, Friday's start time has moved to 9 a.m. at Municipal Ballpark.
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