CROOKSTON, MN – After waiting 13 seasons for their first appearance in the Northern Sun baseball tournament, the University of Mary clinched their second straight playoff berth with a doubleheader sweep. The visiting Marauders captured the opener 4-2 over the University of Minnesota Crookston before concluding the doubleheader sweep 5-4 on a 2-run 9^th inning home run by James Martin.
 
The regular season concludes Saturday, May 7, when the Marauders and the Golden Eagles square off at 12 noon at the UMN Crookston Baseball Field on the UMC campus.
 
UMary improved to 24-24 on the season overall and 16-17 in the NSIC with the sweep. Currently 7^th in the league standings, the Marauders could move up into 5^th place with a win Saturday and a loss by Winona State. However the best seed possibility appears to be sixth with seventh and eighth also a possibility.
 
The Northern Sun tournament is slated to run May 11-14 in Sioux Falls and Brandon, ND. The winner of the eight-team double elimination tournament earns a spot in the NCAA Division II Central Region tournament.  
 
GAME 1 | University of Mary 4 University of Minnesota Crookston 2
 
The Marauders provided all the offensive support Austin Wanger needed in the first inning as visiting University of Mary edged the University of Minnesota Crookston 4-2 to claim a spot in the Northern Sun tournament. UMary scored three times in the top of the first inning and Wagner limited UMC to single runs in each of the last two innings.
 
Tossing his second straight complete game and third of the season, Wagner improved his season record to 5-3 on the season. The fire-balling lefty struck out nine hitters and didn't allow a walk. He limited the Golden Eagles to just four hits and two runs, solo home runs in the sixth and seventh innings.  
 
One of the nation's leaders in strikeouts-to-walks ration, Wagner didn't allow a walk for the second straight game. In his last two games – both 7.0 inning complete games – Wagner has allowed three earned runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out 14. In his last four starts covering 25.2 innings the junior from Fond Du Lac, WI, has held the opposition to 19 hits, six earned runs and two walks while striking out 36.
 
Michael Polson, James Martin and Noah Hull all had a pair of hits for UMary as the top six hitters in the lineup combined for all nine hits. Martin had an RBI and scored a run and Hull knocked in three runs.
 
Jake Dykhoff was strong on the mound for UMC, striking out eight and allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks over 6.0 innings.
 
PIVOT POINT
Michael Polson and Calvin James opened the game with back-to-back singles. After a 1-out double to left by James Martin scored Polson with the opening run of the game, Noah Hull hit a 2-out single to right to plate James and Martin for a 3-0 Marauders lead.
 
UMC had a chance to get back into the game in the second as the Golden Eagles loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of singles and an error. Wagner eliminated the threat with two straight strikeouts and a groundball out to second to end the threat and start a run of 13 straight batters he would retire.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Michael Polson | 2x4, 1 R
• James Martin | 2x3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB
• Noah Hull | 2x4, 3 RBIs
• Austin Wagner | W (5-2), 7.0 IP 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 9 Ks

 
STAT OF THE GAME
The Marauders have earned a spot in the Northern Sun tournament for the second straight year after not qualifying the first 13 years in the league.
 
GAME 2 |
Kyle Jameson provided the early punch and James Martin delivered late as UMary held off UMC 5-4 to complete the Northern Sun sweep.
 
Jameson gave the Marauders a 3-0 lead in the game. The sophomore leftfielder delivered solo home runs to left field in both the third and sixth innings. In the eighth inning he singled home Ethan Baptie for what the Marauders hoped was an insurance run with a 3-0 lead.
 
Jonathan Draheim produced the Marauders second outstanding start of the day. The junior righthander held the Golden Eagles in check for six innings. The closest UMC came to scoring off him was in the third inning. After a leadoff single, a wild pitch and a ground out, Teddy Giefer was gunned down at the plate on a perfect throw from third baseman Cal James to catcher Ben Prediger. Draheim then faced the minimum of three hitters in each of the next three innings. He struck out six, allowed three hits and didn't walk a hitter.
 
The Golden Eagles finally got to the Marauders in the eighth inning, scoring three times on four hits and a walk. Brad Morris provided the big blow with a 2-run single to center to tie the game 3-3. UMary escaped the inning without further damage on a line out to shortstop Michael Polson who doubled a runner off third with a strike to James.
 
PIVOT POINT
The Marauders wasted no time regaining their lead. Derek Shoen led off the ninth with a walk, forcing the Golden Eagles into a pitching change. Down in the count 1-2 after fouling off the first three pitches of the at bat, Martin crushed a ball over the left field wall for a 5-3 lead. Paxton Miller then closed out the game in the bottom of the ninth, allowing one run but keeping the tying run on second base.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• James Martin | 1x4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBIs
• Kyle Jameson | 2x3, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBIs, 1 SB
• Jonathan Draheim | 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 Ks
• UMC Alex Koep | 8.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 9 Ks

 
STAT OF THE GAME
Marauders pitchers struck out 18 hitters and gave up just one walk in the doubleheader.
 
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