LAS VEGAS, NV – Showing impressive resolve on the opening day of the season, the University of Mary softball team bounced back from a loss in the opener to claim wins over San Francisco State University and the University of Nebraska Kearney at the Desert Stinger Classic in Las Vegas, NV.
Paige Matsuki cracked a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning against San Francisco State and sophomore
Hannah Pesek scored the winning run by stealing home in the Marauders 7-6 win over the Gators.
Madison McGonigal and Matsuki both capped the day with two hits and three RBIs as the Marauders finished their triple header with a 13-9 win over Nebraska Kearney. The day opened with a 14-0 loss to tournament host MSU Billings.
GAME 1: MSU Billings 14 UMary 0
The UMary season opened with a disappointing 14-0 loss to tournament host MSU Billings. The Marauders had a chance to open the scoring in the bottom of the first when
Rebekkah Keller reached third with one out but couldn't find a way to score the leadoff hitter.
The Yellowjackets followed with seven runs in each of the next two innings. The Marauders committed three errors, hit one player with a pitch, walked another and allowed four hits in the second. MSUM added another seven runs in the third to finalize the scoring.
Crutchfield had the Marauders only hit in the game, a single in the third. She also walked one.
GAME 2: UMary 7 San Francisco State 6
With little time to contemplate the game one loss, the Marauders rallied late for a wild 7-6 win over the Gators. Highlighted by a McGonigal home run, UMary gained a 3-1 lead through three innings. The Gators responded with five unanswered runs to take a 6-3 lead over the Marauders.
Needing three runs to tie and four to win in the seventh, the Marauders scratched out what was necessary for a win. After Keller led off with a hit and McGonigal reached on an error, Matsuki knotted the game 6-6 with her first UMary home run.
Colleen Crutchfield followed with a double. Pesek, inserted as a pinch runner, then advanced to third. With
Emma Noble on first, the duo successfully completed a double steal with Pesek scoring the winning run.
The win didn't come easy. After allowing two hitters to reach base in the home half of the sixth, Backes induced a ground ball double play to end the game.
McGonigal registered two hits, scored twice and drove in a run. Crutchfield and Noble both had two hits with Noble also scoring a run.
GAME 3: UMary 13 Nebraska Kearney 9
The Marauders overwhelmed the Lopers 13-9 in UMary's third and final game of opening day, pounding out 15 hits in the contest.
Trailing 5-3 entering the bottom of the second, the Marauders evened the contest with two runs in the bottom of the inning before gaining the lead for good with five runs in the third.
After an RBI single by
Kasidy Chileen with the bases loaded, fellow freshman
Rachael Laetsch blasted a 3-run double for a 9-5 lead. McGonigal cracked a 2-out double to score the final run of the inning, providing UMary an insurmountable 10-5 lead.
Kylie Alto hit a home run in the fourth and Matsuki added a 2-run double in the fifth to seal the UMary win.
Keller led the Marauders with three hits. The sophomore scored twice. Laetsch had two hits, scored three times and drove in three runs. McGonigal and Matsuki both had two doubles, drove home three and scored one run. Alto scored twice and had two hits, driving in a run. Chileen also had two hits, scored once and drive in a run.
Kaela Samek scored three times for the Lopers.
Madison Jahner earned the win for the Marauders, allowing one hit and one earned run in 3.1 innings. She struck out five and walked five.
The Marauders face Texas Women's University and Humboldt State to close out the Desert Stinger o Saturday, February 3.
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