MINOT, ND – In a late-night doubleheader that not only was relocated but spanned two days, the University of Mary softball team just missed sweeping 16^th ranked Augustana University. The Vikings opened with a 5-4 extra inning win before Sarah Thomson and two fellow freshmen keyed a 1-0 Marauders victory over Augie at the Air-supported Dome on the Minot State University campus.
 
GAME 1 Augustana University 5 University of Mary 4
In a back-and-forth ballgame, the Vikings captured the opener after the Marauders committed a pair of costly defensive miscues in the eighth inning. UMary fought back from a 4-1 deficit to force extra innings.
 
PIVOT POINT
Tied 4-4 entering the eighth inning, a pair of costly defensive miscues by the Marauders allowed the Vikings to claim the lead and a win. With runners on first and second and two outs, Augie's Maggie Kadrlik hit a line drive to the outfield that was dropped, allowing Abbie Lund to score the winning run.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Paige Matsuki hit a solo home run in the first inning to give the Marauders a 1-0 lead. She finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
 
Kylie Alto went 2-for-3 with a triple, scored a run and drove in a run.
 
Alto tripled and Emma Noble doubled on consecutive at bats in the fourth inning, both driving in a run to pull the Marauders within 4-3.
 
Colleen Crutchfield doubled to lead off the sixth inning and moved to third base on a pair of walks. The senior scored the tying run on a Lauren Lunt sacrifice fly.
 
Madison Jahner pitched one inning of shutout relief.
 
Sarah Thomson suffered a tough loss, allowing just in unearned run and a walk in 2.0 online inn                                        
 
Abbi Lund scored two runs for Augie.  
 
STAT OF THE GAME
Four of the Marauders seven hits went for extra bases. None of the Vikings seven hits went for extra bases.
 
GAME 2 UMary 1 Augie 0
The Marauders Sarah Thomson locked horns with Augies Lexy Peterson in a game dominated by the two hurlers. UMary broke up Peterson's bid for a perfect game in the sixth inning by bunching three straight hits – all by freshman – to plate the lone run of the game.  
 
PIVOT POINT
After Lexy Peterson set down 15 straight Marauders hitters to start the game, UMary freshman  Lauren Lunt doubled to left center to lead off the sixth inng. Sarah Thomson – another freshman – followed with her first collegiate hit, a single up the middle to place runners on the corners. Down in the count 0-2, freshman Kasidy Chileen then poked a ball through the left side of the infied to score Lunt with the winning run.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Freshman Sarah Thomson pitched a 5-hit complete game shutout. She struck out four and didn't walk a player.
 
Only once did Augie have multiple base runners in any inning. The Vikings had two hits in the fourth inning but failed to convert as 1B Kaylea Schorr was thrown out at second trying to pick up an extra base on her own hit.
 
The loss was the first for Lexy Peterson this season after nine wins. She allowed three hits, one walks and one run while striking out six.
 
STAT OF THE GAME
All three Marauders hits came consecutively in the sixth inning... The game started at 11:40 pm on Friday, April 6, and concluded just before 1 am on Saturday, April 7… This was the Marauders second win over a nationally-ranked team. UMary beat #5 Humboldt State on opening weekend.
 
ON DECK
The Marauders are scheduled for another late-night matinee when UMary faces Wayne State College on Saturday, April 7, beginning at 9 pm.
 
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