BISMARCK, ND – A pair of pitching gems lifted the University of Mary baseball team to a Northern Sun doubleheader sweep of Southwest Minnesota State University by identical 5-1 scores. In the Marauders home opener, UMary starting pitchers
Lucas Burgum and
Aiden Johnson both pitched seven innings and combined to limit the Mustangs to one earned run on six hits and one walk while striking out 12 hitters.
The Marauders (8-10 overall, 4-4 NSIC) and the Mustangs (13-9, 3-8 NSIC) wrap up the first home series of the year for UMary with a doubleheader starting at 12 noon on Saturday, March 21. The opening game is a 9-inning NSIC contest with the night cap a 7-inning nonconference game.
GAME 1: University of Mary 5 Southwest Minnesota State University 1
Escaping a bases-loaded first inning jam nearly unscathed, UMary's Lucus Burgum pitched a complete game in his first-ever home appearance for the Marauders. After allowing an unearned run in the first inning, the junior righthanded strung together six shutout innings in a 5-1 UMary win to open the Marauders home schedule.
A native of Mandan, ND, Burgum struck out six in seven innings of work and allowed just two hits, one walk and one unearned run.
SMSU looked poised to open the game with a bang, loading the bases on a leadoff walk and two UMary errors. Burgum induced a run-scoring double-play ball to shortstop
Hank Griffin before retiring SMSU on a groundout, limiting the Mustangs to one run in what could have been a far bigger inning.
Over the next six innings Burgum allowed just three Mustangs to reach base and retired the final seven batters of the game in order.
Kieran Gaffney delivered all the runs needed by Burgum and the Marauders with a bases-loaded triple in the second inning.
Marcus Butts,
Mason Saint Hilarie and
Hank Griffin all singled to load the bases. One out later Gaffney slashed an opposite field triple to the fence in right center to score the Marauders first three runs of the game.
Cullen Wilson followed with a single to center to score Gaffney and the Marauders held a 4-1 lead.
UMary tacked on one more run in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly to left field to score Butts.
Gaffney finished the game 2-for-3 with a triple, a stolen base, a run scored and three RBIs.
Butts crossed the plate twice for UMary and reached base on a hit and a walk. Saint Hilarie was 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.
Cody Wichmann pitched five innings for SMSU, allowing five runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out two.
GAME 2: University of Mary 5 Southwest Minnesota State University 1
Nearly a mirror image of the opener, Aiden Johson was dominant on the mound as the Marauders once again scored four times in the second inning to complete a sweep of the Mustangs.
Johnson, who allowed leadoff singles in each of the two innings, limited the Mustangs to a single run in the game. Just as in the opening game, SMSU scored first, this time on a two-out run scoring double in the second inning by Nathan Wheeler.
UMary wasted no time in retaliating.
Hank Griffin led off the second with a no-doubt laser shot home run over the left field wall to tie the game.
Kieran Gaffney followed with a single, stole second, and took third on a
Hudsen Sheldon single to center.
Mikey Ramirez then tripled to right center – ala Gaffney in the first game – to score two runs for a 3-1 UMary lead. An
Isaac Pegors ground out scored Ramirez for the fourth and final run of the inning.
With Johnson finding a groove, UMary scored once again in the fifth inning as Griffin tripled and scored on a wild pitch.
Over his last five innings, Johnson set the Mustangs down in order three times and allowed one hit and two baserunners, neither of which advanced beyond first base.
In his seven innings of work, Johnson struck out six, allowed four hits, no walks and one run to earn his first win of the season.
Cullen Wilson finished out the game for UMary with two shutout innings.
Griffin finished the game 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run, scoring twice and driving in a run. Gaffney was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base.
Levi Lampert led SMSU with two hits. Dylan Webb tossed 2.2 shutout innings.
#marauders#
