BISMARCK, ND – A powerful start and a stunning close carried the University of Mary softball team to a pair of wins over the University of Minnesota Crookston. Playing in Bismarck, ND, for the first time this season, the Marauders rode a pair of first-inning home runs and a strong pitching performance by
Brieann Backes to a 5-2 win in the opening game before scoring seven times in the seventh inning of an 11-6 game two victory to sweep the Golden Eagles.
Originally scheduled as a Northern Sun doubleheader in Crookston, MN, the game was moved to Bismarck due to field conditions and was played at the Sanford Sports Complex.
GAME 1 University of Mary 5 University of Minnesota Crookston 2
The Marauders opened the day with a power display. The visiting team on the scoreboard as the game was originally scheduled at UMC,
Kasidy Chileen hit a two-run home run and
Emma Noble followed shortly with a solo blast to give the Marauders a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Brieann Backes made the early lead stand as the all-NSIC pitcher tossed a 6-hit complete game.
PIVOT POINT
After
Rebekkah Keller led off the game with a 7-pitch walk, Chileen crushed her first collegiate home run to deep center field for a 2-0 Marauders lead. One out later, Noble blasted a solo shot to left, her team-high seventh of the season, to provide UMary a three run lead.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Backes struck out three and allowed just six hits, two walks and two earned runs in the 7-inning complete game.
Chileen finished 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Noble hit a home run and finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and two runs driven in.
Colleen Crutchfield was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Rachael Laetsch and Keller were both 2-for-3 with a run scored.
For UMC, Gabriel Antolak was 2-for-3 with a solo home run.
STAT OF THE GAME
Eight of nine Marauders starters had hits in the game as UMary posted 13 in the game to six for UMC.
GAME 2 UMary 11 UMC 6
Fighting from behind all game after the Golden Eagles scored three times in the opening inning, the Marauders scored seven times in the seventh inning to ease their way to an 11-6 win. It was the first doubleheader sweep of the conference season for UMary.
PIVOT POINT
Down 5-4, the Marauders scored seven times in the seventh to capture the contest. After loading the bases on singles by Crutchfield,
Kylie Alto and
Lauren Lunt, a sacrifice fly to right field by
Madison McGonigal scored Crutchfield with the equalizer. After a walk to reload the bases, Keller hit a line drive that was dropped by the UMC second baseman. After a collision on the infield by the Marauders runner from first and the Golden Eagles second baseman, Alto crossed the plate with the go-ahead run with all runners safe. Following a run-scoring walk by Chileen,
Paige Matsuki doubled home two runs for a 9-5 UMary lead. Another UMC error allowed the final two runs to score.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Keller was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Alto finished 3-for-5 with a run scored.
Lunt was 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI.
Laetsch scored three times.
Crutchfield scored two times.
Matsuki had two hits, scored a run and drove in four.
Chileen had a double, drove in a run and scored once.
Four Golden Eagles had a pair of hits with Mikayla Rodriguez finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBIs and a home run.
STAT OF THE GAME
A pinch hit single by
Keegan Wickman gave the Marauders a hit in eight of nine of the slots in the UMary batting order.
ON DECK
The Marauders are scheduled to host Upper Iowa University on Saturday, April 21, and Winona State University on April 22.
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