BISMARCK, ND - The University of Mary Softball team delivered a pair of thrilling games for a home-opening split against Upper Iowa University on Saturday.
Madison Wszolek and
Sariah Perez both smacked two home runs each, and
Emari Evans pitched gritty in a 5-4 loss and 12-6 win against the Peacocks.
GAME ONE
The Marauders (6-33, 1-19 NSIC) enjoyed a fast start at the plate, but came up one run short in extra innings 5-4 to the Peacocks (15-22, 7-12 NSIC) in game one.
Madison Wszolek opened the scoring in the second inning by crushing her second home run of the season on a solo shot to straightaway center. After
Francesca Villaneda recorded her first of three hits in the game,
Sariah Perez sent another home run off the scoreboard in left field to give the Marauders an early 3-0 lead.
Perez would reach again on a fielder's choice in the third, but recorded her third RBI of the game by bringing home Wszolek in the process.
The Peacocks finally answered in the fourth inning, scoring four runs on four hits to tie the game up at 4-4.
The game was then deadlocked through the end of regulation as
Nicole Eckhardt and Delaney Vetter took over in a pitcher's dual with both right-handers striking out four batters each.
With the game going one extra inning, Alli Schaffer brought home the go-ahead, unearned run for Upper Iowa on an RBI sacrifice fly to center in the top of 8th. It later became the winning run as UMary failed to answer in the bottom of the 8th, falling 5-4 in a close affair.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Sariah Perez | 2-4, HR, 3 RBIs, R
Madison Wszolek | 2–4, HR, RBI, 2 Rs
Francesca Villaneda | 3-4, R
Brooke McClure | 2-4
Nicole Eckhardt | 4.1 IP, 4 K, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB
GAME TWO
Late rallies at the dish and a gutsy relief performance from
Emari Evans gave the Marauders a 12-6 win and an exciting finish for the hometown crowd.
The Peacocks scratched five early runs through the first two innings.
Mckenzie Reinhardt gave the Marauders their first run of the game in the bottom of the second, bringing home
Sariah Perez on an RBI groundout to short.
The Marauders began to pick up steam in the third as
Madison Wszolek and
Sariah Perez both homered for the second time each on the day. Perez's also scored
Devyn Ritz to get back within a run 5-4. In the fourth,
Kaylee Kannegiesser tied the game at 5, bringing home
Mckenzie Reinhardt on a sacrifice line out to left.
After the Peacocks retook the lead in the fifth,
Mckenzie Reinhardt put the Marauders back on top 7-6 with one swing, scoring Wszolek and Perez on an RBI rip to left field. The momentum carried through the fifth inning with a 2-RBI single from
Brooke McClure followed by an RBI triple from
Kaylee Kannegiesser.
With runners at the corners in the sixth,
Janine Warne stole second base to allow Wszolek to score.
Mckenzie Reinhardt then followed with her third hit and fourth run batted in, scoring Warne on an RBI single to left.
With a six-run lead at her back,
Emari Evans finished the game in spectacular fashion. Evans recorded the first putout on a diving catch. With the bases loaded, Reinhardt came up with a big grab in left field to hold the runners in place for out number two.
Down to the final out, an Evans pitch just went past the mitt of Wszolek, but she gathered the ball quickly and flipped it to Evans covering the plate to plant the tag on Carley Jeanes. The thrilling final out gave the Marauders a 12-6 win for their first NSIC victory of the season.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Mckenzie Reinhardt | 3-4, 4 RBIs, 2 Rs
Sariah Perez | 3-4, HR, 3 Rs, 2 RBIs
Madison Wszolek | 1-2, HR, 3 Rs, RBI, 2 BB
Kaylee Kannegiesser | 2-3, 2 RBIs, 3B
Brooke McClure | 1-3, 2 RBIs, R, BB
Erin Murphy | 2-2, R, BB
Emari Evans | W, 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 HBP
UP NEXT
A day after their home-opening series, UMary Softball will next play their final home doubleheader against Winona State University (31-12, 14-4 NSIC) on Sunday. The Marauders and Warriors are slated for 2 pm and 4 pm first pitches from the Sanford Sports Complex by Legacy High School in Bismarck.
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