WINONA, MN – An early offensive onslaught by the University of Mary baseball team gave the Marauders enough cushion to hold off a late Winona State University charge to earn the Marauders a split of their Sunday doubleheader with the Warriors. Winona State won the opener 7-6 in extra innings. UMary took game two 12-11.
The Marauders (14-11 overall, 7-5 Northern Sun) claimed two of the three Northern Sun games on the weekend and 3-of-4 games overall against the homestanding Warriors (11-14, 6-6 NSIC).
UMary next visits Northern State University on Tuesday, March 31, for an NSIC doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 1:30 pm in Aberdeen, SD.
GAME 1 | Winona State University 7 University of Mary 6 (10 innings)
The University of Mary's hopes to sweep all three Northern Sun weekend games at Winona State University and extend a 7-game win streak ended in a 7-6 extra inning loss to the Warriors. Down six runs, the Marauders scored five runs in the last three innings of regulation to send the game into extra innings. A defensive miscue by UMary allowed the winning run to score with two outs in the bottom of the tenth inning of a scheduled 9-inning contest.
Down 6-0,
Kalem Haney drove in the Marauders first run with a single in the fifth. UMary cut the deficit in half on a
Mikey Ramirez 2-run double to left center in the seventh before a sacrifice fly by
Kieran Gaffney in the eighth pulled UMary within 6-4. In the ninth,
Hank Griffin forced home one run before a
Luke Rhee sacrifice fly tied the game.
In the 10
th the Marauders were unable to take advantage of a 2-out single by Haney. In the bottom of the inning with one out, the Warriors posted three straight singles. Winona State attempted to score a runner from second after the third single but the Marauders caught the Warriors runner in a rundown between third and home for the second out. Now with two down and two runners in scoring position, UMary's hopes to force another inning ended on a wild pickoff throw at third base that allowed Max Peterson to score the winning run.
Ramirez posted three of the Marauders ten hits in the game. He had two doubles and drove in a run. Haney finished 2-for-5 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI.
Ryan Chamberlain allowed one run in three innings of relief, striking out one.
Cullen Wilson threw two perfect innings, striking out three and retiring all six hitters he faced.
Peterson was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.
GAME 2 | UMary 12 Winona State 11
Kieran Gaffney scored four runs,
Sean Saiki drove in five runs and
Bryce Leafgren had a pair of extra base hits as the Marauders outslugged the Warriors to claim a 12-11 win and earn a doubleheader split on Sunday.
Saiki doubled home two runs in the second before scoring on a
Hudsen Sheldon single to give UMary an early 3-0 lead. In the third the Marauders lead grew to 7-0 on a Leafgren home run and an RBI single by Saiki before
Andrew Linn scored on a passed ball.
Following a 6-run third for the Warriors, the Marauders added three more runs in the fourth inning on an RBI hit by Gaffney and a 2-run single by
Riley Pearce for a 10-6 lead.
The Warriors responded with two more runs in the fifth before Saiki singled home two runs in the sixth to give UMary a 12-8 cushion.
Winona State continued to press, scoring twice in the sixth. The Warriors loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh and pulled within 12-11 on a wild pitch.
Jack Thompson then stranded two Warriors in scoring position with a strikeout to end the game and earn his second save of the season.
Saiki finished 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and five RBIs. Gaffney scored four times, had an RBI, and was officially 1-for-1 as he also walked twice and was hit by a pitch. Leafgren doubled, homered, scored three times and drove in two as he finished 2-for-3. Pearce went 2-for-2 with a run scored and two RBIs.
Hank Griffin scored twice.
Hunter Guenther had a double and a home run to pace the Warriors.
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