WAYNE, NE – The University of Mary opened the Northern Sun baseball season in heartbreaking fashion, suffering a pair of walkoff losses to Wayne State College. The homestanding Wildcats rallied for an 8-7 win in game one and edged the Marauders 4-3 in extra innings in the nightcap.
SCHEDULE UPDATE
The UMary weekend series with Minnesota State University is undergoing a site change due to snowfall in the Mankato, MN, area. The three-game set is moving from Mankato to Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park in Sioux City, IA, the home of the Sioux City Explorers. The Marauders and Mavericks will play a single game on Saturday, March 26, starting at 3 pm. On Sunday, March 27, the two teams tangle in a doubleheader beginning at 12 noon with a 7-inning contest to start followed by a 9-inning game.
GAME 1 | Wayne State College 8 University of Mary 7
Early momentum favored the University of Mary (8-9 overall, 0-2 NSIC) as the Marauders jumped out to a 6-0 lead with a huge second inning. Keyed by a 3-run triple to right center off the bat of
Michael Polson, UMary scored six times in the top of the second inning. The Marauders made use of four walks and three hit batters to stake the visitors to an early lead. The Wildcats (11-7, 5-0) fought their way back into the game with two runs in the bottom of the second and four more in the 4
th inning to close within 7-6. Wayne State followed with single runs in each of the 6
th and 7
th innings to claim a walkoff win.
TURNING POINT
The Wildcats scored four times without a hit in a big 4
th inning. Taking advantage of a pair of hit batters and three walks – two with the bases loaded – along with an error let Wayne State pull within 7-6. An RBI single by Alex Logelin tied the game in the 6
th before Nick Barnett singled home the winning run with one out in the 7
th.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
STAT OF THE GAME
Three Marauders pitchers allowed just four combined hits in 6.1 innings pitched.
GAME 2 | Wildcats 4 Marauders 3 (10 innings)
Ty Jones and
Kody Jones combined to hold the Wildcats to just six hits in 9.2 innings in a heartbreaking loss for the Marauders. A back and forth game, UMary took a 2-1 lead in the second inning on a 2-run two-out single by
Braxton Inniss. After the Wildcats pulled ahead with two runs in the third, UMary scored the equalizer in the fifth inning when a
Derek Shoen groundout plated Inniss. The game remained tied 3-3 until the 10
th inning.
TURNING POINT
Unable to take advantage of baserunners on base in three of the last five innings, including two in both the 6
th and 9
th innings, the Marauders opened the door for the Wildcats to gain a sweep. Taking the ball in the 7
th inning after a strong start from
Ty Jones,
Kody Jones retired the first seven hitters he faced until hitting a batter in the 9
th. Two subsequent ground ball outs sent the game into extra innings.
After UMary went down in order to start the 10
th inning, Andrew Hanson led off the bottom of the 10
th with a triple. Jones fanned the next batter before a fly ball to left field by Colin Lynam scored Hanson with the winning run.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Braxton Inniss | 2x2, 1 R, 2 RBIs, 2 BB
- Ty Jones | 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
- Kody Jones | 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
- WSC Andrew Hanson | 2x4, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 3B
- WSC Keean Allen | 3 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
STAT OF THE GAME
Ty Jones and
Kody Jones combined to limit the Wildcats to 6 hits and 2 walks in 9.2 innings.
#marauders#
