BISMARCK, ND – Despite a career-high nine strikeouts by
Parker Wakelyn, the University of Mary baseball team fell short in the Marauders hopes to complete a weekend sweep of Northern State University. After taking both games on Sunday, the Marauders dropped a 4-1 Monday morning 9-inning decision to the Wolves.
Irrespective of the loss, the Marauders remain in 7
th place in the Northern Sun standings. With five games to play in the regular season, the Marauders are 21-23 overall and 13-16 in the NSIC. The Wolves are 15-21 and 10-13 to sit in 9
th place. The top eight teams based on winning percentage qualify for the NSIC tournament slated for May 11-14 in Sioux Falls and Brandon, SD.
Wakelyn pitched the first five innings of the game for UMary. He limited the Wolves to just four hits and one walk in one of his strongest outings of the season. Wakelyn allowed one lone run in the fourth inning on an infield chopper up the middle by Karson Hesser to score Reece Ragatz.
Unable to plate a run off Wolves starter Max Otto, the Marauders knotted the game at 1-1 in the 7
th inning off reliever Mike Stubbs.
Ty Jones led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch as Stubbs struck out a pair of Marauders. With two outs, Shoen singled home Jones with hard ground ball up the middle. It was the lone run allowed by Stubbs in three innings of work.
PIVOT POINT
The Wolves posted three runs in the bottom of the 7
th inning. Isaiah Chevalier led off with a walk and rounded the bases on a throwing error and two wild pitches to score the go-ahead run. Another two walks and a sacrifice bunt placed a pair of Wolves in scoring position and a two-out single by Hesser scored both runs for a 4-1 lead. UMary placed runners on base in both the 8
th and 9
th inning but Stubbs kept the Marauders in check, including three straight called third strike punchouts in the 8
th.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- James Martin | 2x3, 1 BB
- Derek Shoen | 1x3, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB
- Ty Jones | 0x2, 1 R, 2 BB
- Parker Wakelyn | 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 Ks
- NSU Karson Hesser | 3x4, 3 RBIs
- NSU Max Otto | 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 4 Ks
- NSU Mike Stubbs | W (1-0), 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 Ks
STAT OF THE GAME
The Marauders stranded 11 baserunners… UMary pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts and just four walks. The Wolves pitchers struck out nine but walked eight.
ON DECK
The Marauders close out their home schedule with a doubleheader against St. Cloud State University on Wednesday, May 4. First pitch in the Northern Sun midweek doubleheader is set for 1:30 pm at Municipal Ballpark in Bismarck, ND.
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