DENVER, CO – A pair of home runs by both
Kalem Haney and
Isaac Pegors rallied the University of Mary to an 11-6 victory over Metropolitan State University of Denver and a doubleheader split. UMary hit five home runs and scored the last nine runs of the nightcap to knock off the nationally-recognized Roadrunners. MSUD opened the day with a 5-3 win.
GAME 1: MSU Denver 5 UMary 3
Cru Walker singled home two runs in the fourth inning to pull University of Mary within in a single run but the Marauders were unable to complete their rally in a 5-3 game one loss to Metropolitan State University of Denver.
The Roadrunners hit three doubles and crossed home plate four times in the second inning for the only runs Marauders starter
Lucas Burgum allowed in six innings of work.
UMary struck for three runs in the fourth. Reaching base on a one-out single to left,
Bryce Leafgren moved to third on a single by
Sean Saiki and a walk to
Kieran Gaffney to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Leafgren with the Marauders first run and moved Saiki and Gaffney into scoring position. Walker followed with a 2-out 2-run single up the middle to close the gap to 4-3.
MSU Denver held the Marauders offense in check the rest of the game until a final scare in the ninth inning. From the sixth through eighth innings, a Walker single in the seventh was UMary's only baserunner.
Down 5-3 after the Roadrunners scored one more run in the seventh, an MSUD error with two outs in the ninth inning opened the door for UMary. With Saiki on base due to the defensive miscue, Gaffney singled through the left side of the infield to force a pitching change. Two pitches later the Roadrunners closed the door on the Marauders hopes with a popup to short for the final out.
Gaffney and Walker both had two hits in the game. Gaffney also had a steal.
Kalem Haney doubled for UMary's lone extra base hit.
Burgum allowed just seven hits in six innings, striking out three and walking three.
Jack Thompson pitched one scoreless inning, retiring all three batters he faced.
Jake Syverson pitched 8.2 innings for MSUD to earn the win. He gave up eight hits and two walks and struck out seven. Lathen Buzard had three hits and Jared Swarbrick posted a pair of hits, drove in two and scored once.
GAME 2: UMary 11 MSUD 6
Leadoff hitter
Kalem Haney both opened and closed the scoring for the Marauders with home runs as UMary scored the last nine runs of the game to rally for an 11-6 win to earn a split with MSU Denver.
Hitting second right behind Haney,
Isaac Pegors added two home runs of his own, including the game-winning blast in the sixth inning. Combined the two posted four hits – all home runs – and drove in seven runs while scoring five times. They also walked once each.
Haney blasted a leadoff home run for the Marauders first lead of the day but the Roadrunners responded with three in the home half of the first inning. A two-run home run in the second by
Riley Pearce drew UMary even at 3-3.
MSUD wasted no time in once again moving ahead, scoring twice in the second and once in the third for a 6-3 lead.
The rest of the game belonged to UMary. Pegors cranked a solo shot to center before a 2-run single by
Mason Saint Hilarie knotted the game at 6-6 in the fifth.
Pegors pushed UMary back in front with another 2-run blast to center in the sixth, this time scoring Haney for an 8-6 lead. Haney then sealed the game in the seventh with a 3-run shot to right.
Every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit for UMary.
Haney was 2-for-4 with two home runs, three runs scored and four RBIs. Pegors blasted two home runs, scored twice and drove in three runs. Saint Hilarie was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Marcis Butts had three hits and
Bryce Leafgren added two.
The Marauders bullpen was stellar, limiting the Roadrunners to one run over six innings of work.
Cullen Wilson struck out five and held MSUD to two hits and one run in four innings to earn the win.
Cole Smith and
Jacob Burgess both threw perfect innings with one strikeout each.
UMary outhit MSUD 15-4.
The Marauders and the Roadrunners conclude the four-game non-conference series with a doubleheader at 1 pm CT/12 noon MT on Saturday, March 14.
#marauders#
