MINNETONKA, MN – Impressive starting pitching performances by Ryan Chamberlain and Aiden Johnson delivered a Northern Sun doubleheader sweep for the University of Mary baseball team over Concordia-St. Paul. The Marauders captured the opener 4-1 before Chamberlain pitched a complete game 9-inning shutout in an 8-0 Marauders game two win over the Golden Bears.
 
Chamberlain is the first UMary pitcher to throw a 9-inning complete game shutout since Michael Vollrath blanked Apprentice School 11-0 on March 6, 2014. The last complete game shutout for the Marauders was an 8-0 7-inning effort by Jonathan Draheim against the University of Minnesota Crookston April 19, 2023. The last 9-inning UMary shutout was a 4-person effort in a 5-0 win over Northern State University May 1, 2022.
 
GAME 1: UMary 4 Concordia-St. Paul 1
Aiden Johnson struck out a season-high six hitters as the junior righthander limited Concordia-St. Paul to one run on four hits in six innings of the 4-1 UMary win. It was the third straight start in which Johnson has completed six innings.
 
Cru Walker singled home Noah Hull with the first run of the game in the second inning. Hull followed with a run-scoring single in the third to push UMary's lead to 2-0.
 
The Marauders tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning. Luke Rhee singled through the right side of the infield to score Krece Papierski. An infield bunt single for Hank Griffin soon followed. Just looking to move the runners over with a bunt, Griffin reached base when the Golden Bears failed to cover first base.
 
After leading a runner on base in each of the first three innings, the Golden Bears finally scored on an Eric Berg double in the fourth inning. Johnson overcame back-to-back one-out singles by Concordia-St. Paul in the sixth with a ground out and a fly out to end the Golden Bears threat.
 
Sam Hayen picked up his second save of the season with a scoreless seventh inning.
 
Hull finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, Walker was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Papierski reached base all three times at bat with two walks and a double.
 
GAME 2: Marauders 8 Golden Bears 0
Chamberlain struck out ten batters in a dominant effort against the Golden Bears. The junior righthander was virtually untouchable, allowing just three hits. He didn't walk a batter.
 
After allowing leadoff singles in each of the first two innings, Chamberlain retired 11 straight hitters before an error in the fifth. The Golden Bears led off the seventh with their third and final hit of the game, causing Chamberlain to elevate his game. The Laramie, WY, native retired the last nine hitters of the game, including four of the final six on strikeouts.
 
The Marauders offense proved very supportive of Chamberlain. Isaac Pegors opened the scoring with a line drive opposite field home run over the right field fence in the second. UMary tacked on three runs in the third as Kalem Haney and Kieran Gaffney delivered run-scoring singles. Haney scored the third run of the inning on a steal of home, catching the Golden Bears off guard on a throw from the catcher back to the pitcher.
 
A Pegors run-scoring ground out was followed by a Marcus Butts 2-run double in left center in the fifth inning for a 7-0 lead. Gaffney's sacrifice fly in the 6^th scored the final run of the game.
 
Butts finished the game 3-for-3 with two doubles, a run scored and two RBIs. He also threw out a runner attempting to steal second in the first inning. Hank Griffin scored twice. Pegors and Gaffney joined Butts with two RBIs. Overall seven Marauders had hits in the game.
 
The Marauders (6-9 overall, 2-4 NSIC) and the Golden Bears (6-9, 2-4) finish their neutral site 4-game NSIC series with a doubleheader starting at 12 noon on Friday, March 14, at Veterans Field in Minnetonka, MN.
 
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