BISMARCK, ND – The University of Mary baseball team tied the school record for wins in a season after completing a weekend sweep of Concordia-St. Paul. Following two wins on Saturday, the Marauders claimed a 5-3 win on Sunday for their 30
th victory in 2026.
The Marauders, who have won their last seven games and 24-of-29, are 30-15 overall this season and 23-9 in the Northern Sun (3
rd place). The Golden Bears are 20-27 and 15-20 (11
th) in the NSIC.
The 30 victories equals the Marauders school record, set in 2002. The 23 NSIC wins is also a school record, exceeding the total of 20 from last year.
The Marauders close out their 2026 home schedule on Tuesday, April 28, with a doubleheader against Bemidji State University. The opening game is set to start at 1:30 pm at Municipal Ballpark in Bismarck, ND.
Down a run after a quick first inning run for the Golden Bears, the Marauders scored three times in the bottom of the inning to claim a 3-1 lead.
Hank Griffin and
Marcus Butts led off with singles and a one-out walk to
Bryce Leafgren loaded the bases.
Kieran Gaffney then delivered a 2-run single to left. Two batters later
Cullen Wilson delivered a 2-out run-scoring single to left.
UMary extended its advantage to 4-1 on a Griffin RBI double with two outs in the third.
The Golden Bears began to creep back into the game with a run in the fifth. After starter
Justin Hanson walked the first three hitters,
Kaden Coldwell came on and retired three straight hitters, inducing a run-scoring ground out and a sacrifice fly before ending the inning on a strikeout.
Concordia-St. Paul kept pressing to pull even but the Marauders bullpen continued to get clutch outs. In back to back innings the Golden Bears moved the tying run to third base but couldn't find the equalizer.
Leading off the sixth inning, Chase McQuade doubled and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. When McQuade strayed too far from the bag, Marauders catcher
Cru Walker threw behind McQuade, picking off the Golden Bears runner and ending the scoring threat. In the seventh inning CSP moved two runners into scoring position with one out.
Jacob Burgess quashed the threat with a strikeout and a lineout to center field.
In the eighth inning, a leadoff single and a one-out wild pitch put the tying run at second for the Golden Bears but Burgess retired the next two hitters on a fly ball and a foul ball pop up to end the threat.
UMary gave itself some comfort when Leafgren led off with a double and pinch runner
Luke Rhee scored on a Wilson ground out for a 5-3 advantage.
Cole Smith took over on the hill for the ninth inning and the UMary closer kept CSP off the scoreboard, despite a 2-out double, and earned his sixth save of the season.
Griffin led the Marauders with three hits from his leadoff slot. Leafgren and Gaffney both had two hits. Gaffney and Wilson both delivered two RBIs.
Hanson limited the Golden Bears to two hits and struck out five in four innings. Coldwell, who picked up his second win, and Burgess both threw two scoreless innings with each giving up two hits and striking out one batter.
Cole Newell gave up one run in 5.1 innings for CSP.
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