ABERDEEN, S.D. - Behind MeLanie Rodriguez's ninth complete game of the season, coupled with freshman duo Taylor Lara and Brieann Backes teaming up for a scoreless outing, the University of Mary Softball team brought a sweep of Northern State University back to Bismarck to extend their winning streak to three games.
 
Rodriguez was efficient as ever, holding the Wolves (18-24, 8-10 NSIC) to five hits in seven innings while striking out four en route to a 4-1 win in game one, while Lara and Backes kept the scoreboard blank in game two for 2-0 win to keep the Marauders' (11-25, 5-12 NSIC) momentum rolling from their nine-inning comeback win over the weekend.
 
GAME ONE
 
Rodriguez retired the first eight batters she faced in the first game, recording two of her strikeouts in the process, before Courtney Sjerven reached on an error in the bottom of the third to break the streak. Rodriguez was covered by Amber Gamboa from behind the plate, though, as Sjerven was caught stealing during the following at bat on a strong throw from the Gilroy, Calif., native to keep the contest at 0-0 heading into the fourth.
 
U-Mary struggled to find an answer for Jamie Fisher as she held the Marauder batters to one hit through the first three innings for a tough pitcher's duel in the early goings of the game. The Marauders finally found the cracks in her armor in the top of the fourth as Kylie Alto singled to center field to score Shawnee Zink from second base for a 1-0 led going into the fifth inning.
 
Northern State ramped up the pressure on Rodriguez in the bottom half of the fifth as Brittney Lash drew the leadoff walk advanced to second on Katie Dawson's sacrifice bunt, and made it to third on Jess Vernon's bunt single for runners at the corners and one out.
 
The Wolves pushed their first run across the board on the heels of Sjerven's single through the left side, but Gamboa came up big once again as she threw out Vernon on the ensuing double steal during Katie Maiden's at bat for the second out.
 
Though Rodriguez started to bend after surrendering a single to Maiden, she refused to break by forcing a fly ball out from Katelynn Dilts to end the scoring threat and left the score at 1-1 heading into the sixth.
 
U-Mary's offense was there to back their pitcher up as Colleen Crutchfield sent a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Taylor Mendez for a 2-1 Marauder lead, while Rodriguez responded in kind by retiring the Wolves in order in the bottom of the sixth.
 
The Marauders got two more in the top of the seventh off Gamboa's RBI single through the left side to bring in Alexandra McDermott, while Mendez brought one more home with her single to right field to score Demaree Rodriguez.
 
MeLanie Rodriguez capped off her complete game with two more strikeouts in the seventh as she sat down the Wolves in order once again en route to her fifth win of the year on a 4-1 final score.
 
Demaree Rodriguez and Taylor Mendez each finished with two hits in the contest while they both were hit by a pitch, as Mendez added one RBI and one run to Rodriguez's one run score.
 
GAME TWO
 
Spurred on by a complete team performance in game one, Taylor Lara responded with her best outing of the year in game two but not before she struggled to find a rhythm in the first inning after giving up two walks to the first three batters of the game, but settled into a groove as she retired the next eight batters she faced to keep the Wolves hitless through three innings.
 
Meanwhile, the Marauders had issues of their own on the offensive end as they were stymied by Missy Elkins through the first four innings even though Alana Norman and Demaree Rodriguez led the top of the first with back-to-back singles before Northern State settled down to record three straight outs to quickly end the scoring threat.
 
Lara ran into trouble in the top of the fourth after Rachel Albright reached on an error to leadoff the inning and her pinch runner, Mackenzie Thielen, advanced to second on Macey Engel's single back up the middle.
 
U-Mary's defense had an opportunity to correct their previous mistake as Fisher hit into a tailor-made double play right at the second basemen and the ensuing 4-6-3 ended up as two outs with a runner on third, while the inning was capped off with a groundout from Lash to squelch all momentum for Northern State.
 
The Marauders finally broke through in the top of the fifth, starting with Alto's single to right center to lead the inning off and McDermott's sacrifice bunt put the runner at second with one out to bring up Keegan Wickman pinch hitting for Lex Hubbard.
 
Wickman never had a chance to display her power as she was thwacked by the 1-1 pitch from Elkins to put runners at first at second with one out, while Norman moved them 60 feet closer to home with her groundball straight back to the pitcher.
 
Demaree Rodriguez ensured the game wasn't tied for much longer after she drove the first pitch she saw out to left center and stood tall on second base with her two-run double to give the Marauders the 2-0 lead late in the game.
 
The two runs was all Lara needed as she sat down Northern State in order in the bottom of the fifth, and recorded two outs in the bottom of the sixth before getting pulled in favor of Brieann Backes who gave up a single to Engel for runners at first and second before promptly forcing a groundout from Fisher to end the inning.
 
U-Mary's offense failed to get insurance runs in the top of the seventh as Rodriguez doubled to right center with two outs, but was thrown out at home on Gamboa's single to left field to set the stage for Backes' first save of her collegiate career.
 
Backes left no room for doubt she would accomplish her task as she sat down the Wolves in order in the bottom of the seventh behind two groundouts and a line drive out that secured the save and completed the day sweep with the final score at 2-0.
 
Taylor Lara went 5.2 innings in the game, gave up only two hits and struck out two while Brieann Backes went the final 1.1 of the game and gave up one hit for the save.
 
Demaree Rodriguez finished with three hits in the game to lead the way on offense as she smacked two doubles and a single to go with two RBI on the backend of the doubleheader. Kylie Alto finished with two hits, both singles, as the only other Marauder with multiple hits in the game.
 
The Marauders will have a day off before heading north to take on Minot State University on Thursday, April 14, to make up the doubleheader that was postponed earlier in the season due to weather. First pitch is schedule for 2 PM CDT.
 
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