BISMARCK, ND – An Amber Gamboa two-run double provided the only runs Brieann Backes and the University of Mary needed to gain a Northern Sun softball split with Bemidji State University. The Marauders won an abbreviated night cap 8-0 after suffering a 4-1 loss to the Beavers in the opener.
 
After a tough loss in game one, the Marauders jumped out to an early lead in the second contest of the day. Gamboa crushed a two-run double to deep left field to score Rebekkah Keller and Taylor Mendez in the bottom of the first inning of an 8-0 win shortened to six innings due to the 8-run rule.
 
Mary scored three more times in the second. Madison Jahner and Madison McGonigal posted back-to-back run-scoring doubles. A Beavers defensive miscue brought home a third run to increase the Marauders lead to 5-0.
 
The Marauders closed out the win on single runs in each of the last three innings. Mendez cracked her sixth home run of the season in the fourth and singled home a run in the sixth to end the game early. Lex Hubbard singled home a run in the fifth.
 
Backes pitched her second shutout of the season, striking out five in the six-inning complete game. She allowed eight hits and no walks to improve to 6-9 on the season. The Marauders defense helped out by turning two double plays.
 
Mendez finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored, two runs batted in and a home run. Colleen Crutchfield had two hits and scored once and Hannah Holtz had two hits. Keller scored twice.
 
Alayna Krejci and Olivia Tucker had two hits each for the Beavers.
 
In the opening game, Mary had the tall task of facing NSIC and NCAA Division II Pitcher of the Week Jessica Yost. The Marauders and freshman pitcher Madison Jahner proved up to the challenge in the early going.
 
After Jahner pitched her fourth straight scoreless inning, the Marauders posted the first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Keller led off with a single to right and stole second before moving to third on a Gamboa single. The freshman centerfielder then scored on a groundout by Colleen Crutchfield.
 
Three singles by the Beavers in the fifth, the last by Jessica Burlingame, knotted the game at 1-1.
 
Looking to regain the lead, Taylor Lara and Lex Hubbard both produced one-out singles in the bottom of the fifth. The rally fizzled as Yost struck out the next two Mary hitters.
 
Bemidji State extended its lead with two runs in the sixth on a bad-hop two-run triple by Brooke Phillips.
 
Refusing to fade away, Gamboa hit a one-out single and Crutchfield doubled in the bottom of the sixth. Once again Yost wriggled out of the inning, producing a pop-up and a fly ball to end the Marauders last threat of the game.
 
Gamboa led the Marauders efforts with two hits. Five other Mary players had one hit each.
 
Jahner pitched six innings for Mary, scattering ten hits, walking one and striking out two. She allowed three runs.
 
Burlingame led all players with three hits. Roberts had two hits and scored twice. Phillips also had two hits and drove in two runs.
 
The Marauders return to the road this weekend, visiting Augustana and Wayne State on April 8-9.
 
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