BISMARCK, N.D. – The University of Mary turned to
Jake Johnson, one of the nation's top pitchers this season, to battle nationally ranked St. Cloud State University. Held in check for much of the opener, the second-ranked Huskies just bided their time and eventually broke the contest open in the late innings on their way to a 6-2 and 12-2 sweep of the home-standing Marauders.
Johnson and SCSU's Logan Spitzack locked horns in the opener, but as good as Johnson was, Spitzack was just a touch better.
After setting down the first five Huskies of the game, including three on strikes, Johnson gave up a two-out double to Zach Metzger to left center and a run-scoring single to center by Logan Swann.
One of the nation's leaders in hits allowed/inning, ERA and WHIP, Johnson quickly settled back down, keeping the Huskies off the board the next three innings. He worked out of a bases loaded jam in the third and allowed lone base runners in the fourth and fifth.
Despite placing the leadoff man on base in each of the first four innings, including three by singles and an error, the Marauders couldn't generate a run. Despite four hits total, including a double by
Clay Bassingthwaite, one hit batter and an error, the Marauders failed to score in the early innings as two runners were thrown out on the base paths and the Huskies turned a double play.
In the sixth, Zach Hoffman cracked a two-run home run to right center off Johnson, extending the SCSU lead to 3-0. With Johnson out of the game in the seventh, the Huskies doubled their lead to 6-0, the last two runs coming courtesy Hoffman's second two-run home run of the game.
The Marauders broke through for two runs in the bottom of the seventh against the Huskies bullpen. After
Connor Doll singled and pinch-hitter
Daulton Sauce walked to lead off the final inning,
Trenten Hove singled with one out to load the bases.
Tom Imholte followed with a two-run single down the right field line, lofted over Hoffman's head at first base to score Doll and Sauce.
Johnson allowed three runs, five hits and four walks in six innings while striking out five.
Doll and Hove both went 2-for-3 for the Marauders with Doll scoring a run. The Marauders posted eight hits total to seven for the Huskies.
Spitzack tossed 5.2 scoreless innings, striking out five and allowing five hits and a walk. Miles Nablo recorded the final out of the game to register a save.
Hoffman was 2-for-3 with two home runs, two runs scored and four RBIs.
The Huskies stayed hot to start the second game, posting a run in the top of the first inning when leadoff hitter Brandon Arnold homered to left. A couple more hitters reached for SCSU but U-Mary pitcher
Brad Meyer stranded both.
The Marauders also kept their offense rolling. Hove walked to lead off the first,
Jason Shaul was hit by a pitch and a Meyer single to center loaded the bases. One out layer, Doll stroked a single to right to drive home Hove and Shaul.
Those would be the last runs of the day for U-Mary as Cal Giese came on in relief of starter Ryan Diers and the SCSU bullpen took control of the game.
SCSU tied the contest on a two-out run-scoring double by Hoffman in the third.
A Marauders meltdown in the fourth allowed the Huskies to take control of the game. With two outs and no one on, Jackson Goplen singled to center, stole second and scored on a Marauders error then extended the inning. A run-scoring double was followed by a walk, another run-scoring double, and a two-run error by U-Mary. The five unearned runs gave SCSU a 7-2 lead.
Another five run outburst by SCSU in the sixth shortened the scheduled nine-inning game to seven as the Huskies lead grew to 12-2.
Five different Marauders had a hit in the game.
Meyer went five innings for U-Mary, allowing just two earned runs and one walk. He struck out three.
Giese earned the win for SCSU, tossing 4.2 innings of scoreless relief. He struck out seven, walked one and allowed three hits.
Next up for the Marauders is a four game home series against the University of Minnesota Crookston on Saturday and Sunday, April 23-24.
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