LAS VEGAS – Saving their best game for last, the University of Mary softball team upset 5
th ranked Humboldt State University 7-2 to wrap up the Marauders opening weekend with a winning record at the 2018 Desert Stinger Classic. UMary exploded for five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull away from the Lumberjacks.
The Marauders opened the second day of the Desert Stinger with a 10-1 loss to Texas Women's University, a team getting votes in the national poll after advancing to the NCAA super regions last year. UMary finished its two days in the desert with a record of 3-2.
GAME ONE Texas Women's University 10 UMary 1
In a game shortened to five innings, the contest was over quickly. Texas Women's University struck for seven runs – five earned – in the bottom of the first inning. Combining five hits and two Marauders errors the Pioneers quickly put the game out of reach.
Stephanie Alvarez homered in the third inning for the Marauders to pull UMary within 7-1 but TWU got the run back in the bottom of the inning and tallied twice more in the fourth.
Alvarez finished 2-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI. Four other Marauders also had hits. Defensively the Marauders committed four errors to two for the Pioneers.
Leadoff hitter Morgan McCallum led Texas Women's with three hits and two RBIs. Cheyenne Mahy spun a complete game, allowing six hits, one run and no walks while striking out five.
GAME 2: UMary 7 #5 Humboldt State 2
Madison Jahner kept 5
th ranked Humboldt State in check all game and the University of Mary jumped all over the Lumberjacks bullpen in a 7-2 Marauders victory. Both
Colleen Crutchfield and
Paige Matsuki had a pair of hits and two RBIs in the game.
The Lumberjacks opened the scoring with a single run in the top of the first. The Marauders immediately responded. Matsuki reached in a two-out error and Crutchfield drove her home with a double to left center.
Quiet until the fourth, both teams again scored single runs in each of their at bats. The Lumberjacks scored on a two-out run-scoring double by Danica Grier, who posted three of Humboldt's seven hits on the day.
Kasidy Chileen initiated the Marauders response with a single through the left side before taking second base on a ground ball out to third. Keller followed with an infield hit to third. A throwing error on the play allowed Chileen to score the tying run for UMary.
Taking advantage of a pitching change, the Marauders plated five runs in the sixth inning. After a one-out walk to Chileen,
Lauren Lunt followed with a pinch-hit single to left field. An infield single by Keller loaded the bases.
Madison McGonigal broke the deadlock with a run scoring single up the middle to score Chileen. Matsuki broke the game open with a two-run single to right to push the Marauders lead to 5-2. Crutchfield made it five straight hits with an RBI single to right. An error by the Lumberjacks on a ground ball by
Kylie Alto allowed the Marauders fifth run to score.
Looking to rally in the seventh, Humboldt State started the inning with a single and a double before a line drive double stifled the Lumberjacks hopes.
Matsuki finished the game with two hits, two runs scored and two RBIs. Crutchfield had two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Chileen posted two hits and scored twice. Keller also had two hits and crossed the plate once.
Jahner limited the Lumberjacks to seven hits and two runs in her complete game effort. The sophomore walked four and struck out one.
The Marauders return to action for five games at the Cactus Cassic in Tucson, AZ, on February 15-16.
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