BISMARCK, ND – Still waiting for the opportunity to play in front of their home fans this season, a midweek schedule change will provide the University of Mary softball team the Marauders first home date of the year. Due to a site reversal, the Marauders will host the University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles on Wednesday, April 18. The Northern Sun doubleheader is set to begin at 10 am at the Sanford Sports Complex.
The two games were originally slated for Crookston, MN, on Tuesday, April 17. However field conditions will send the Golden Eagles to Bismarck.
A difficult spring for teams across the Upper Midwest, this will not only be the Marauders first games played in their home city but also the first NSIC games played outside after playing all 12 contests in a controlled environment. UMary's first ten league games were played in Minot, ND, at the Air-supported Dome. The squad played a pair of games last week against Northern State at the Presentation College Dome.
The start of a busy week, UMary ia now scheduled to play eight home games in a week's time. After the games with the Golden Eagles, the Marauders host Upper Iowa and Winona State this weekend and MSU Moorhead on Wednesday, April 25 (continue to visit GoUMary.com for confirmation of times and locations).
UMary features several players with power in the lineup, out-homering opponents 23-6. There is a three-way tie for home runs and
Paige Matsuki,
Emma Noble and
Kylie Alto with six round-trippers apiece.
A junior shortstop, Matsuki is hitting .354/.368/.646 with a team-high 18 runs scored and 25 RBIs. Noble, a sophomore left fielder, checks in at .348/.434/.682, leading the squad in both on-base and slugging percentage. She also has 13 runs scored, four doubles and 13 RBIs. Both Matsuki and Noble joined the squad this season after transferring from junior colleges.
Perhaps the team's hottest hitter, Alto has a line of .308/.342/.662. The junior second baseman has scored 12 times and driven in 15 runs.
Senior
Colleen Crutchfield, who earned all-conference honors last season, has had a strong season behind the plate while also playing some third and first. She is hitting .324/.412/.514 and has scored 12 runs and driven in 14.
Freshman
Kasidy Chileen has become a regular in the lineup and owns a team-high .370 batting average, tops on the team. Leadoff hitter and center fielder
Rebekkah Keller has 11 steals in 13 attempts and is second on the team with 16 runs scored.
In the circle, freshman
Sarah Thomson has 50 strikeouts this season in 50.1 innings. Senior
Brieann Backes leads the squad with five wins, five complete games and 66.1 innings pitched.
#marauders#
