BISMARCK, ND – The University of Mary baseball team set an NCAA era program record for wins in a season and claimed another series win with a 7-5 win over visiting University of Minnesota Duluth. In a closely contested contest, the Marauders took advantage of Bulldogs miscues to score three times to win the rubber match in the three-game Northern Sun series.
The win is the 25
th of the season for UMary. The previous high for wins since moving to NCAA Division II and the Northern Sun in 2006-07 was 24, in both 2022 and 2025.
Including midweek doubleheaders, the Marauders have won five straight series (three 3-game weekend series, two midweek doubleheaders). UMary has also won five straight weekend 3-game or 4-game series. During this run the Marauders have won 19 of their last 24 games.
The Marauders improve to 25-15 overall and 18-9 in the Northern Sun. UMary sits third in the NSIC standings, two wins ahead of the University of Sioux Falls. The Bulldogs are 14-28 and 13-17.
Next up for UMary is a doubleheader at the University of Jamestown on Wednesday, April 22. Game time is 1:30 pm in Jamestown, ND.
Isaac Pegors got the Marauders off to a fast start as the All-American hit a 3-run home run in the first inning over the fence in left center. It was the fourth home run in five games for the junior right fielder.
The Bulldogs battled back to scored three runs in the third to tie the game at 3-3. The three runs were the only runs to score against UMary starter
Justin Hanson in his five innings of work. The lefthander struck out two and allowed six hits.
In the home half of the third the Marauders regained the lead 4-3 as a
Luke Rhee grounder scored
Marcus Butts.
A pair of leadoff singles, a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch in the seventh inning allowed the Bulldogs to once again pull even.
A decisive eighth inning for the Marauders featured UMary taking advantage of two Bulldogs errors, a hit batter and a wild pitch to score three times. After a one-out single by
Cru Walker and
Mikey Ramirez was hit by a pitch, the duo advanced into scoring position on a wild throw on a pickoff attempt. A ball four wild pitch with
Hank Griffin at the plate then scored Walker with Ramirez taking third. Griffin then stole second to place two runners once again in scoring position.
Butts then hit a fly ball to right field that was dropped, allowing Ramirez to score and the UMary designated hitter to reach first base. Wanting nothing to do with Pegors, the Bismarck, ND, native was intentionally walked to fill the bases to face Leafgren. The All-NSIC player made UMD pay for the decision, singling through the left side of the infield to score Griffin with the third run of the inning for a 7-4 UMary lead and the win.
Ryan Chamnberlain earned the win for UMary with two scoreless innings of relief. He struck out two to earn his second victory this week and improved to 4-1 this year. He pitched a complete game last Wednesday in UMary's 5-3 win over the University of Minnesota Crookston.
Cole Smith pitched the seventh to claim his fourth save this season.
Leafgren rapped out three hits and drove in one run. Pegors homered, drove in three runs and was walked twice. Griffin scored twice and reached base four times – a hit, two walks and was hit by a pitch – out of the leadoff slot. Butts had a pair of hits and scored twice.
Eight of nine UMary starters had hits in the game.
Anthony Hayden homered for UMD, scored twice and had two hits.
#marauders#