BEMIDJI, MN – A dominating start on the mound in the opening game by Konnor Kirchoffner and twin home runs by Noah Hull and Isaac Pegors pushed the visiting University of Mary baseball team to a Northern Sun doubleheader sweep at Bemidji State University. UMary captured the opener 10-1 before claiming game two 12-2.
 
The two victories keep the Marauders in the running for a spot in the Northern Sun baseball tournament. With eight games to play in the regular season, the Marauders improve to 20-21 overall and 16-16 in the Northern Sun. The Beavers are 5-32 overall and 4-26 in the NSIC.
 
UMary is currently tied for 8^th place in the NSIC standings. The Marauders are just two games out of fourth place as six teams own between 16 and 18 wins in league play. The top eight teams in the final standings qualify for the post-season tournament.  
 
GAME 1: University of Mary 10 Bemidji State University 1
Konnor Kirchoffner, making his fourth career start in his two seasons at the University of Mary, dominated the Bemidji State University lineup to earn the Marauders a game one win. The junior righthander from Burnsville, MN, held the Beavers to two hits and one run in six innings. He walked one and struck out four.
 
After allowing a first inning 2-out solo home run, Kirchoffner faced just one hitter above the minimum over the next five innings. The only two BSU baserunners the last five innings were the result of a walk in the third inning and a 2-out single in the sixth inning. Overall only three of the 20 hitters faced on the day reached base with the batter who walked immediately removed from the basepaths by an inning-ending double play.
 
Kirchoffner's longest previous outing was 3.1 innings. He improves to 3-0 on the season. The team leader in appearances with 11, Kirchoffner also owns two saves this season.
 
PIVOT POINT
The Marauders scored three unearned runs in the first inning and never looked back. Taking advantage of two errors, a hit batter and a walk, the Marauders plated three runs while registering just one hit. Noah Hull, UMary's career leader in runs batted in, opened the scoring on a bases loaded walk to force home a run. Gound balls by Krece Papierski - who reached on a throwing error – and Kieran Gaffney scored the other two runs.
 
After Bemidji State scored in the bottom of the first, UMary tallied single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings before plating two in the sixth and two in the seventh to pull away. Hull hit a solo home run in the third and Bryce Leafgren drilled a solo shot in the fifth to highlight the Marauders scoring efforts.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Luke Rhee 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 RBIs, SB
• Bryce Leafgren 2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 1 RBI
• Noah Hull 2-for-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBIs
• Cru Walker 2 R, 2 BB, SB
• Mikey Ramirez 2-for-3, 1 RBI
• Konnor Kirchoffner 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 Ks

 
STAT OF THE GAME
Career-high 6.0 innings pitched for Konner Kirchoffner, who faced just 20 hitters (minimum is 18).
 
GAME 2: Marauders 12 Beavers 2 (7 innings)
Isaac Pegors continued to punish baseballs this season with two home runs and three hits total to spark the Marauders to a game two win and a sweep of the UMary midweek doubleheader at Bemidji State. The junior outfielder has hit 13 home runs this season, which is one short of the school record of 14, set by Derek Shoen in 2022.  
 
In addition to his three hits, Pegors was twice plunked by pitches and scored four runs in the game.
 
Pegors has had at least two hits in each of his last five games and is 12-for-18 with two doubles, four home runs, 12 RBIs and seven runs scored during that span. In 37 games he has 16 multi-hit games, including seven games with three or more hits.
 
Ryan Chamberlain led another impressive pitching performance for the UMary staff. In a rare midweek outing, Chamberlain threw three scoreless innings, striking out three and allowing three hits to earn his third win of the season.
 
Jack Thompson gave up two unearned runs in two innings and Jacob Burgess and Riley Pearce both threw scoreless innings.
 
PIVOT POINT
Pegors blasted a 2-run home run to center field in the first inning as the Marauders got off to another fast start against the Beavers. Pegors then hit his second home run in the third inning for a 3-0 UMary lead. Two batters later Noah Hull followed with his second home run of the day. Kieran Gaffney delivered a run-scoring double and Mike Ramirez drove home the fourth run third inning to push the UMary lead to 6-0 after three.
 
UMary proceeded to score three more runs in the fourth and single runs in each of the final three innings as the Marauders closed out the scheduled nine-inning game after seven due to the ten-run rule.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Isaac Pegors 3-for-3, 2 HRs, 4 Rs, 3 RBIs, 2 HBP
• Noah Hull 2-for-4, HR, 1 R, 1 RBI
• Bryce Leafgren 2 R, 2 BB
• Ryan Chamberlain 3.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 3 Ks

 
STAT OF THE GAME
With 13 home runs Isaac Pegors is one away from tying the school record of 14 by Derek Shoen in 2022… Pegors has 50 RBIs this season and is closing on the school record of 54 by Josh Walker (2024)… With 36 career home runs and 195 career hits, Noah Hull is closing on the school career record for hits (198 by Cal James) and home runs (39 by Tyler Liffrig)… UMary hitters were hit by ten pitches on the day (four times in game one, six times in game two).  
 
ON DECK
UMary wraps up its 2025 regular season road schedule with a three-game set at Southwest Minnesota State University on Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27. Friday's NSIC doubleheader starts at 1:30 pm with a single game Sunday commencing at 12 noon. All three games will be played at Legion Field in Marshall, MN.
 
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