BISMARCK, ND – In a meeting between two of the premier pitchers in the Northern Sun, University of Mary's Aiden Johnson outdueled the reigning conference pitcher of the year to earn the Marauders an opening game win and a doubleheader split. UMary captured the weekend opener 2-0 over defending NSIC champion Augustana University. The Vikings then held off a late Marauders rally as the visitor's picked up a 5-3 win in game two.
 
GAME 1: University of Mary 2 Augustana University 0
Facing defending Northen Sun champion Augustana with 2024 NSIC Pitcher of the Year Ashton Michek on the mound for the Vikings, the University of Mary's Aiden Johnson met the challenge with his best outing of his short Marauders career.
 
In his first season at UMary, the junior from Westminster, CO, pitched his first complete game for the Marauders. The McCook Community College transfer struck out seven hitters in seven innings and limited a potent Vikings attack to just five hits and one walk.
 
Michek also was impressive, holding the Marauders to three hits in six innings. UMary hitters also received four walks and struck out seven times.
 
Scoreless through the first two innings, Hank Griffin led off the third inning with a triple to the gap in right center. The UMary second basemen then scored on a ground ball to short by Kalem Haney. Bryce Leafgren followed with a one out single to right and moved to third on a Noah Hull double down the right field line off the Augie first baseman's glove. A wild pitch scored Leafgren to double the Marauders lead to 2-0.
 
Augustana looked to immediately retaliate as the first two Vikings hitters in the fourth reached on singles. Johnson induced a pair of pop ups to Griffin before stranding the two baserunners on a fly ball to center to end the inning.
 
Johnson continued to make big pitches in key moments. After a 2-out error extended the fifth for the Vikings, a ground ball to Griffin finished the inning. Following a single and a walk with one out in the sixth, Hull fielded a ground ball, fired to Haney covering second for a force out and took the return throw at first to complete the inning-ending double play. Johnson then retired the Vikings in order in the seventh to finish off the win and improving his season record to 4-1.
 
GAME 2: Vikings 5 Marauders 3
The power game gave Augustana an early and the Vikings held off a late UMary rally to claim game two 5-3.
 
Jack Hines hit a 2-run home run in the first inning and Jason Axelberg followed with a solo shot in the second to give the Vikings a 3-0 lead.
 
After stranding a pair of runners in the third inning, UMary closed the gap to 3-1 in the fourth. Loading the bases with no outs on two walks sandwiched around a single, Noah Hull scored the only run of the inning on a double play ground ball.
 
Winterstein cracked a leadoff home run in the fifth to rebuild the Vikings lead to three runs at 4-1.
 
UMary tallied twice in the seventh inning. Leadoff singles by Marcus Butts and Kieran Gaffney led to Butts scoring on a wild pitch. Cullen Wilson, who reached on a fielder's choice, scored on a Kalem Haney sacrifice fly to close the gap to 4-3.
 
A double play eliminated the Marauders hopes in the eighth inning before the Vikings tacked on another run in the ninth to leave UMary down two with three outs to go.
 
Down to their last out, pinch hitter Krece Papierski reached on a throwing error to keep UMary alive. Griffin doubled down the left field line to move the tying run into scoring position. A walk to Haney brought Leafgren to the plate. One of the top hitters in the NSIC, Leafgren lashed a hard ground ball up the middle that was initially bobbled by Vikings shortstop Joe Kolbeck. Now unable to gain the easy force-out at second, Kolbeck recovered in time to make a strong throw to first that narrowly beat Leafgren to the bag for the final out of the game.
 
Isaac Pegors was 3-for-4 to lead the UMary attack. Griffin had two of the Marauders eight hits.
 
Jacob Burgess pitched two scoreless innings of relief, striking out three hitters. Ryan Facchini also struck out three in two innings.
 
Hines was 3-for 5 for Augie, scoring twice and driving in two runs. Axelberg also had three of the Vikings 15 hits.
 
Harry Blum pitched 2.2 scoreless innings for the Vikings for the save.
 
The Marauders (13-14 overall, 9-9 NSIC) and the Vikings (17-10, 12-6) wrap up the weekend with a twin bill on Sunday, April 6. First pitch is set for 12 noon at Municipal Ballpark.
 
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