MINOT, ND – Forced to fight from behind all evening in a doubleheader that spanned two days, University of Mary rallies fell short in both games against Wayne State College. In a pair of games played in the Air-supported Dome in Minot, ND, that began at 9 pm on Saturday night and ended after 2 am on Sunday, the Wildcats edged the Marauders 6-5 in the opener and 12-10 in the night cap.
 
GAME 1 Wayne State College 6 University of Mary 5
Trailing 4-1 entering the bottom of the second inning, the Marauders chipped away at the Wildcats lead but could never pull even in a game that featured a fast start on offense and closed with both teams struggling to scratch out runs.
 
PIVOT POINT
Just after taking a 2-1 lead in the second, the Wildcats tripled their lead with a 2-out 2-run double by Emily Chandler to take a 4-1 lead. Two more runs in the third inning pushed their advantage to 6-2.
 
The Marauders were poised to make a big move but missed on a pair of opportunities. The Marauders left the loaded bases in both the third inning and fourth innings and stranded two in the sixth inning.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Brieann Backes allowed just one hit and one unearned run in five innings of relief. She struck out two and walked five for the Marauders.
 
Five Marauders had a pair of hits in the game: Paige Matsuki, Colleen Crutchfield, Kaylie Alto, Emma Noble and Kasidy Chileen.
 
Matsuki, Alto and Noble homered for the Marauders.
 
Matsuki was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a home run and an RBI.
 
Alto was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.
 
Katelyn Wobken was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI for Wayne State.
 
Annie Grammer scored twice.
 
STAT OF THE GAME
The Marauders outhit the Wildcats 13-9 and posted all three home runs in the game.
 
GAME 2 Wayne Sate 12 UMary 10
In a game of two halves, the Marauders brought the winning run to the plate with one out on the board after UMary was one out away from seeing the game end prematurely after the fifth inning. Trailing 12-1, the Marauders scored the final nine runs of the game.
 
PIVOT POINT
Leading 5-1, the Wildcats scored four times in the third inning with two outs already on the board. The big blow was a 2-run single by Annie Grammer.
 
The Marauders had opportunities to score the needed runs but left two runners on base in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Fr. C Hailee Jundt came off the bench to go 2-for-2 with two runs scored, a home run, an RBI and a walk. It was her first career home run.
 
Stephanie Alvarez came off the bench to go 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk and two runs scored.
 
Kylie Alto was 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, a run scored and three RBIs.
 
Colleen Crutchfield scored twice and drove in two runs.
 
Katelyn Wobken was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored for WSC.
 
Emily Chandler added three hits.
 
WSC's Annie Grammer was 4-for-four with three runs scored and three RBIs, hitting  a home run.
 
Winning pitcher Riley Vanderveen started the fifth inning in the circle for the Wildcats, was replaced for two outs, and then came back later in the fifth to finish off the inning.
 
STAT OF THE GAME
The Marauders held a 5-3 edge in extra base hits in the game… limited to one hit the first four innings, the Marauders generated 11 hits in the final three innings.
 
ON DECK
The Marauders are scheduled to visit Northern State University on April 11.
 
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