BISMARCK, N.D. – With the end of his collegiate baseball just a couple weeks away, University of Mary senior
McKeon Meyhoff posted one of his most impressive outings while establishing two new Marauders career marks. Despite Meyhoff registering a new personal high of 11 strikeouts, defensive miscues allowed the University of Minnesota Crookston to rally past U-Mary 5-3 in the opener.
The Golden Eagles also rallied to defeat the Marauders 13-11 in game two.
Meyhoff has compiled 209.1 innings and 147 strikeouts in his U-Mary career to set new program highs. The old marks were 206.1 innings by
Michael Vollrath, established last season, and 142 strikeouts by Kyle Lozensky.
In five innings, Meyhoff allowed three runs – all unearned – on five hits and four walks. The 11 strikeouts exceeds his previous best of ten against Findlay earlier this season.
Leading 3-1 after five innings on an RBI single by
Connor Doll and a run-scoring groundout by
Clay Bassingthwaite in the first and a
Jason Shaul run-scoring single in the second, the game turned away from the Marauders in the sixth.
An error allowed the UMC leadoff hitter in the sixth inning to reach base. A single grounded through the left was followed by a bloop single to short right center that filled the bases. A run-scoring single through the left side by Mitchell Bornhauser ended Meyhoff's day with the Marauders leading 3-2.
Entering the game with the bases full and no outs,
Ryo Takenaka struck out the first hitter he faced before a ground out brought home the tying run. The inning ended at home plate on a
Tom Imholte tag of a runner on the tail end of a double steal attempt.
The Golden Eagles grabbed the lead in the seventh with more help from the Marauders defense. After the leadoff hitter was hit by a pitch, the second batter reached on a fielding error. Takenaka recorded the first out of the inning on strikes before hitting the next batter with a pitch to load the bases. UMC broke the tie when Reed Hjelle hit a 2-run double to right for a 5-3 UMC lead.
Refusing to fade away, Marauders pinch hitter
Travis Stevens walked to open the bottom of the seventh and
Seth Meide followed with a double. Neither runner scored, though, as UMC pitcher Zach Seipel recorded a strike out and popped up the next two hitters to save the game for the Golden Eagles.
The only U-Mary player with multiple hits, Meide was 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored. Four other Marauders also had hits.
Hjelle finished 3-for-4 for UMC, scoring once and driving in two.
The nightcap turned into an old fashioned slugfest with momentum shifting back and forth between the two teams.
After the first two Marauders walked to open the second game, Doll followed with a single to right center to plate Imholte and give U-Mary an early 1-0 lead. After the Golden Eagles scored two runs in the top of the fourth, the Marauders retaliated with four runs in the bottom of the inning.
Leading off in the fourth, Doll was hit by a pitch and
Clay Bassingthwaite singled the opposite way to left field, Both moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by
Drew Feuerbach. A single up the middle by
Mason Schiff brought home Doll and Bassingthwaite scored on an error on an infield grounded hit by Meide. Following a grounder by
Trenten Hove to score Schiff, Shaul closed the Marauders outburst with a run-scoring double down the left field line for a 5-2 U-Mary lead.
A Golden Eagles miscue allowed Doll to reach first base leading off the fifth. The freshman infielder moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Schiff single. Meide followed with an RBI triple to extend the Marauders advantage to 7-2.
The joy was short lived for U-Mary. UMC posted eight runs on five hits, one error and four walks to take a 10-7 lead. Just three of the runs were earned. Kenny Perez capped the inning with a two-run home run.
Continuing to expand their advantage, the Golden Eagles tacked on another three runs in the eighth for a 13-7 lead, the final two on an RBI double to right center by Kinsella.
Fighting again from behind, the Marauders regained three of the runs on a 3-run
Drew Feuerbach home run to right with two outs in the eighth.
In the ninth, the first three Marauders reached with no outs as Meide doubled to left,
Andrew Beyer walked and Imholte singled.
Brad Meyer soon followed with a run scoring single with one out but the next two hitters stuck out to leaving the tying run on second.
Doll finished the game 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Schiff and Meide both went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Meide posted a double and a triple and recorded four extra base hits during the doubleheader. Shaul was 2-for-4 and drove in one run.
Ethan Mushitz posted a game-high four hits for UMC. Perez had three hits, three RBIs and scored twice. Kinsella knocked in four runs on two hits.
The two teams complete their four game set with a twin bill at Municipal Ballpark starting at noon on Saturday, April 23.
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