MINOT, ND – Big blasts and overpowering pitching earned the University of Mary softball team a split at Minot State University to open Northern Sun competition. The Beavers captured the opener 6-5 in walk-off fashion after a wild seventh inning before the Marauders pounded five extra-base hits – including two home runs – in a 7-2 victory in game two.
GAME 1 Minot State 6 UMary 5
A pitching and defensive duel for six innings, the Marauders and the Beavers combined for seven runs in the seventh inning as Minot State scored four runs to walk off with the win.
PIVOT POINT
Tied at 2-2 through six innings as both the Beavers and the Marauders tallied twice in the fourth inning, UMary scored three times in the top of the seventh to claim a 5-2 lead following a run-scoring single by
Rebekkah Keller and a 2-run double by
Madison McGonigal, both with two outs.
The Beavers did one better in the home half of the seventh. Minot State opened with a walk and two singles to score a run. After scoring a second run on a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly knotted the game at 5-5. With two outs and runners on first and second, an error on the Marauders infield scored a run to give the Beavers the victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Kylie Alto finished 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Sophomore
Emma Noble homered, drove in two runs and finished the game 2-for-3.
A trio of Minot State players had two hits in the game as the Beavers out-hit the Marauders 10-8.
Brieann Backes rolled for the first six innings, allowing just two runs and seven hits until the seventh inning, striking out two.
The Marauders defense turned two double plays in the game to none for the Beavers.
STAT OF THE GAME
UMary had the only two extra base hits in the game, a double by McGonigal and a home run by Noble… The Marauders stranded four baserunners to eight for the Beavers.
GAME 2 UMary 7 Minot State 2
Showing no ill effects for a difficult loss in the opener, the Marauders pounded out five extra base hits to one for the Beavers and scored the first seven runs of the game.
PIVOT POINT
With the Marauders holding a 1-0 lead, the Beavers leadoff hitter walked in the second inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. UMary freshman pitcher
Sarah Thomson found her groove and struck out the next two hitters to close the inning and maintain the UMary lead. Thomson, who struck out two more hitters in the fourth and seven for the game, didn't allow another Minot State runner to reach scoring position until the seventh inning.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Thomson, the losing pitcher in the opener after allowing an unearned run in the seventh inning, improved to 3-1 on the year with a 7-inning complete game. The freshman allowed just three hits, on earned run, walked four and struck out seven.
Keller tripled to lead off the game and scored on a McGonigal ground out.
Paige Matsuki hit a two-out run-scoring single in the fifth and Crutchfield hit an opposite field double down the right field line to score a second run as the Marauders extended their lead to 3-0.
Kasidy Chileen doubled home a run in the sixth before Matsuki hit a 2-run home run in the seventh and Noble soon followed with a solo shot to provide the Marauders a 7-0 lead.
Noble, who homered in both games, finished game two 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Matsuki was 2-for-4 with a home run, three runs batted in and a run scored.
Keller finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
STAT OF THE GAME
After posting the only two extra base hits in the opener, the Marauders hit two home runs, two doubles and a triple in game two while the Beavers managed a solo home run to lead off the seventh for MSU's first run of the game.
ON DECK
The Marauders weekend home series has moved to Minot, ND, and UMary will play St. Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota Duluth on Friday and Saturday, March 30-31. Starting at 10 am both days, the Marauders play the Huskies on Friday and the Bulldogs on Saturday in NSIC contests.
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