BISMARCK, ND – Two more strong starting pitching performances set an impressive tone for the University of Mary baseball team as the Marauders swept a doubleheader from Southwest Minnesota State University for a second straight day. UMary captured game one 6-2 to claim all three Northern Sun games. The Marauders then held off a late Mustangs rally in game two for a 7-5 non-conference win to complete a four-game sweep in the Marauders first home appearance of the season.
This was the first time the Marauders have swept a weekend series from the Mustangs since the two teams first met in 2007.
Across all four games of the weekend series, the Marauders starting pitchers limited the Mustangs to three earned runs in 22 innings, allowing 12 hits and three walks while striking out 24.
UMary improves to 10-10 on the season and 5-4 in NSIC play. SMSU is 13-10 and 3-9.
GAME ONE: University of Mary 6 Southwest Minnesota State University 2
In his first Marauders home start, senior lefthander
Justin Hanson held the Mustangs in check as UMary finished a sweep of all three Northern Sun contests. Striking out seven in five innings, Hanson gave up two runs, five hits and two walks. Both runs came in the first inning
The relief performance by
Ryan Chamberlain was perhaps even more impressive. Pitching the last four innings to earn his first save of the year, the senior righthander limited the Mustangs one hit and one walk in four scoreless innings. He faced 14 batters and retired 12.
Facing an early deficit for the third straight game after the Mustangs scored twice in the top of the first inning, the Marauders responded with three runs in the bottom of the first and held the lead the rest of the game. After a ground ball fielder's choice by
Marcus Butts scored
Luke Rhee,
Kieran Gaffney singled up the middle to score Butts and tie the game.
Hank Griffin then rocketed a shot off the top of the right field fence for a double to score Gaffney and push UMary into the lead.
The Marauders created separation with single runs in the third, seventh and eighth innings.
Griffin finished with three hits, including the game-winning RBI double. Butts and Rhee both scored twice.
Levi Lampert had three hits and scored once for SMSU.
GAME TWO: University of Mary 7 Southwest Minnesota State University 5
Tristan Eberle spearheaded a bullpen approach for the Marauders in the series finale with a dominant three inning start. The freshman righthander struck out the side in the first inning, with a 2-out ground-ball single in the opening stanza the only baserunner he allowed. Eberle, who struck out five, retired nine of the ten batters he faced in the game.
Kaden Coldwell and
Sam Hayen both struck out two as each pitched one scoreless inning of relief.
Jack Thompson, the sixth UMary pitcher used in the seven inning non-conference game, picked up the save after posting the final two outs of the game.
For the first time all weekend, UMary broke onto the scoreboard first with a 3-run first inning outburst.
Mikey Ramirez led off with a triple to left-center and scored on a ground ball to the right side by
Kieran Gaffney, who reached on a throwing error. After a walk loaded the bases,
Andrew Linn delivered a two-run single to right to score
Luke Rhee and Gaffney.
Hudsen Sheldon, who led off the third with a triple to right, scored on a Ramirez single to right center for a 4-0 UMary lead. A pair of SMSU errors led to Ramirez scoring on an
Isaac Pegors ground out for a 5-0 advantage.
SMSU got on the scoreboard with two runs in the fifth but UMary immediately matched the Mustangs with two in the bottom of the inning.
Sean Saiki led off with a single and scored on a Linn triple to right center, UMary's 3-bagger of the game. A
Rhett Chisholm sacrifice fly scored Linn to push UMary's lead to 7-2.
The Mustangs made a run in the seventh, using two Marauders errors, a walk and two hits to score three runs but Thompson came aboard and stranded to SMSU runners on base to close out the win.
Linn finished 3-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs. He also scored a run. Ramirez was 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored.
Jared Cortez was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI for SMSU. Connor Davis had a double, two hits and two RBIs.
UMary opens a 10-game road trip with a non-conference game at Minot State University on Wednesday, March 25. The Marauders are back in Bismarck April 8.
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