BISMARCK, N.D. - Breaking up their final week of conference play with a former DAC-10 rival, the University of Mary Softball team hosted Dickinson State University this afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader.
 
The Marauders (16-30) had the wind taken out of their sails in game one after acquiring a 6-4 lead only to have the Bluehawks (34-7) chip away late to steal the win at 7-6, followed by defensive miscues in game two ending up as a 6-2 loss as U-Mary stumbled in the midweek matchup beneath Dickinson State.
 
GAME ONE
 
The errors played a factor early in the first game as Dickinson State scored twice in the top of the first after Monique Yslas reached on a throwing error by Shawnee Zink at third base and ended up at second, only to be brought home on a single from Alex Vargas in the very next at bat.
 
The Bluehawks got another run after Brianna Grayson laced a double to the right center gap that required a brilliant defensive relay from Lex Hubbard to Kylie Alto to Taylor Mendez behind the plate to retire Vargas trying to score, but Grayson stole third in the next at bat and ended up crossing the plate after the errant throw from Mendez sailed over Zink's head to give Dickinson State a 2-0 lead.
 
Mendez helped get one of the runs back in the bottom of the first as she drove a two-out triple that ricocheted off the left center field fence to score Demaree Rodriguez to cut the lead to 2-1 heading into the second.
 
Oddly enough, Dickinson State never needed the one big inning throughout the game as they methodically moved runners across the diamond as McKenzie Kenobbie scored Morgan Glowa on an RBI single in the top of the second for a 3-1 Bluehawk lead, only to add another run in the top of the fourth on a double to left center from Samantha Hardwick that scored Andrea Rodriguez to put the total at 4-1 favoring the visitors.
 
U-Mary's offense broke through in the bottom of the fourth after Alexandra McDermott reached on a fielder's choice groundball that brought in Zink with the bases loaded, and Colleen Crutchfield laced the 3-1 pitch from Amanda Flores over the left center fence for a three-run blast that propelled the Marauders into the lead at 5-4.
 
Alana Norman followed up with a single down the left field line that forced a pitching change from the Bluehawks, stole second during Rodriguez's at bat and scored on the ensuing single through the right side for a 6-4 Marauder lead going into the fifth.
 
Dickinson State kept chipping away in the top of the fifth after McKenna Kostelecky drove a double out to right field that scored Vargas and Yslas to knot the running total at 6-6 going into the sixth.
 
Alexzandria Watson proved difficult to get a read on as she limited the Marauder to two hits after coming into relief in the fourth and retired 10 of the 12 batters she faced throughout the remainder of the game, while the Bluehawks got the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth on Yslas' double to the right center gap to score Shannen Donnelly for a 7-6 Dickinson State lead.
 
U-Mary had a glimmer of hope in the bottom of the seventh as Norman drove an infield single to third base to lead off the inning, but her efforts were in vain as Watson forced back-to-back popups from Rodriguez and Gamboa, and closed the game out after Mendez skied the first pitch she saw down the left field line to finalize the score at 7-6.
 
Alana Norman finished with three hits in the contest, all singles, to go with two stolen bases and one run, while Tayloy Mendez added her first triple of the year along with a single and RBI to pad her team-leading batting average.
 
Colleen Crutchfield brought the power with her three-run shot in the fourth, while Demaree Rodriguez added an RBI single and run, and Shawnee Zink added a single and run.
 
Taylor Lara took the no decision for the Marauders as she started in the circle and went four innings with one strikeout, while Brieann Backes took the loss after going three innings and striking out two.
 
GAME TWO
 
Of course, the deciding factor in game two came down to the second inning as the Marauder defense committed two miscues that resulted in five runs crossing the plate, starting with Kenobbie's two-out single to second base to score McKennzie Bassett after the first throwing error.
 
Vargas followed up with a two-RBI single to left field to score Kenobbie and Whitney Mesi, and capped off by two runs scoring on a dropped fly ball to right field to score Vargas and Yslas for a 5-0 Dickinson State lead going into the third.
 
U-Mary wouldn't get their runs until the bottom of the fifth as Gamboa doubled to left field to score Norman from second base, but the Bluehawk defense demonstrated their defensive prowess by throwing out Rodriguez at the plate to keep the score at 5-1.
 
Mendez kept the rally going with a double to deep center field to score Gamboa, but just as the Marauders were finding their groove against Abigail Brooks, the Bluehawks opted for the switch and brought in Watson to close out the second game.
 
Watson responded by retiring the next two U-Mary batters to squelch all the momentum in the inning, while the Dickinson State got an insurance run in the top of the sixth after Kenobbie reached on an infield single and ended up scoring later in the inning on a wild pitch for a 6-2 Bluehawk lead.
 
The Marauders had no answer for Watson as Alto was the lone batter to record a hit with her leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth, but the remaining hitters had no such luck as Watson struck out four of the final five batters she faced for earn a save and a 6-2 Dickinson State win.
 
Demaree Rodriguez finished the contest with three hits, one double and two singles, while Amber Gamboa added a single and double, one RBI and one run on the backend of the doubleheader.
 
MeLanie Rodriguez ended up with the loss for U-Mary after going two innings despite not giving up an earned run, while Taylor Lara pitched four innings in relief with one strikeout and Shawnee Zink made her first appearance of the year with one scoreless inning of work and struck out one.
 
The Marauders will take on the University of Minnesota Duluth tomorrow afternoon after having the doubleheader moved up due to the forecast of inclement weather, with the first pitch schedule for 2 PM CDT.
 
#marauders#