CLERMONT, FL – Two strong pitching performances combined with clutch hitting carried the University of Mary softball team to a pair of victories on the Marauders final days competing in the Florida Invite. UMary defeated Bentley 6-1 and rallied past the College of Saint Rose 5-3.
Provided a pair of runs in the top of the first inning on a
Colleen Crutchfield single against Bentley, freshman
Sarah Thomson pitched six shutout innings to earn wins in back-to-back starts.
After walking the Falcons leadoff hitter, Thomson retired the next seven hitters she faced.
Bentley pressured the Marauders defense with a leadoff triple in the fourth. Pitching like a veteran, the first-year player kept the Falcons off the board by inducing a popup and recording the last two outs of the inning on strikeouts.
The Marauders put the game away in the fifth, scoring four times to build a 6-0 advantage.
Emma Noble provided the key blow with a two-run double.
Thomson finished the game with nine strikeouts in six shutout innings. She allowed three hits and two walks.
Crutchfield and Noble both posted a pair of RBIs for the Marauders.
Madison McGonigal had two hits and scored twice.
Paige Matsuki also had two hits and scored once.
Julie Slavin had two of Bentley's four hits.
The Marauders also jumped out to a lead in their eighth and final game during their time in Florida. Matsuki rocked a two-out double against Saint Rose and scored on a single by Crutchfield.
After the Golden Knights scored a solo run in the top of the second to tie the game, Noble provided the Marauders another lead with a solo home run leading off the home half of the second.
The Golden Knights generated solo runs in the third and fifth to grab a 3-2 lead, the first time the Marauders trailed in the game.
Taking advantage of a Saint Rose miscue to open the bottom of the fifth, the Marauders scored a pair of runs on a Matsuki single to push UMary back in front.
Provided a 4-3 lead,
Brieann Backes took control. The junior allowed just one baserunner in the final two innings to earn a win for a third straight day. In her complete game victory, Backes struck out three and scattered eight hits and two walks over seven innings. Just two of the three runs were earned.
Matsuki went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run. Crutchfield had two hits and an RBI.
Kasidy Chileen had two hits and scored once.
Ryane Brush and Briana Bowen had two hits each for the Golden Knights.
The Marauders finished 6-2 during their Florida excursion and are 9-4 on the season. UMary next visits St. Joseph, MO, on March 16-18 for five games in a regional crossover.
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