LEESBURG, FL – The University of Mary softball team opened their 2023 10-game spring trip to Florida with an extra inning victory behind strong performances in the circle by
Emari Evans and
Nicole Eckhardt, ensuing the Marauders of a split on the day.
GAME 1: University of Mary 4 University of New Hampshire 1 (8)
Evans and Eckhardt both pitched four innings and allowed one combined run in a 4-1 UMary extra inning victory over New Hampshire (0-7 overall). Evans held the Chargers to a 4
th inning run before Eckhardt threw four scoreless innings to get the win. Eckhardt gave up just one hit and one walk while striking out four.
The Marauders had eight hits total to six for the Chargers. Janelle Bergman paced UMary with three hits and two RBIs. She also scored once.
Francesca Villaneda went 2-for-2 and drove in a pair of runs for UMary.
PIVOT POINT
With both teams limited to a single run for the first seven innings, the Marauders took advantage of a Chargers miscue to score three times in the eighth.
Erin Murphy, placed on second to start the inning as the international tiebreaker runner, took third on a fielder's choice that allowed
Ariana Retuta to reach base. Murphy then scored the tiebreaking run on an RBI groundout by Bergmann, who reached on an error. After a sacrifice bunt by
Devyn Ritz and a strikeout, Villaneda singled to right to score both Bergmann and Retuta for a 4-1 lead.
Eckhardt, who stranded a pair of Charger runners on base in the seventh, slammed the door on New Hampshire in the eighth. She struck out the first two hitters she faced before inducing a groundout to end the game.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Ariana Retuta | 1x4, 2 R
- Janelle Bergmann | 3x4, 1 R, 2 RBIs, 2 SB
- Francesca Villanda | 2x2, 2 RBIs
- Emari Evans | 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB
- Nicole Eckhardt | 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 Ks
STAT OF THE GAME
This was the second time this season the Marauders have held an opponent to a single run.
GAME 2 | Southern Connecticut 20 UMary 8
Erin Murphy had three hits and
Sariah Perez drove in three runs but UMary (3-10 overall) was unable to keep pace with the Southern Connecticut State (3-5 overall) offense. The Owls scored the first 11 runs of the game before an 8-run outburst by the Marauders in the 4
th inning closed UMary within three runs. The Marauders hopes of finishing their comeback were dashed when the Owls posted nine runs in the sixth, their fourth multi-run inning of the game.
PIVOT POINT
Down 11-0 entering the bottom of the 4
th, the Marauders used four Owls errors and five hits to score eight unearned runs. A bases loaded triple by Perez and a Murphy single scoring the 8
th run headlined the inning for UMary. The Marauders left the bases loaded in the 4
th and managed to gain just one more baserunner in the final two innings.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Sariah Perez | 1x3, 1 R, 3 RBIs, 3B
- Erin Murphy | 3x3, 1 R, 1 RBI
- Nicole Eckhardt | 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER
- SCSU Katrina Roy | 4x5, 2 R, 2 RBIs
STAT OF THE GAME
The eight runs scored by the Marauders is their 3
rd best total of the season.
NEXT UP
The Marauders play their second doubleheader of the week in the Sunshine State on Tuesday, March 14, when UMary faces Felician University at 1 pm CDT and Le Moyne University at 3:30 pm CDT.
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