LINCOLN, NE – Waiting until the very end, a dramatic 2-run home in the ninth inning by
Marcus Butts rallied the University of Mary past #14 Augustana University 3-2 in the opening game of the Marauders 3-game Northern Sun series with the league-leading Vikings. Despite two UMary grand slams in game two, Augie captured the second game 17-9.
The Marauders (16-13 overall, 9-7 Northern Sun) and the Vikings (24-7, 17-2 NSIC) wrap up their weekend with a single 9-inning contest at 1 pm on Saturday, April 4, at the Sandhills Complex in Lincoln, NE.
GAME 1: University of Mary 3 #14 Augustana 2
With the University of Mary down to its last two outs and down a run in the ninth inning,
Marcus Butts delivered a clutch 2-run blast for the Marauders first lead of the day.
Cole Smith then slammed the door on #14 Augustana's hopes of a rally in UMary's 3-2 win over the Vikings.
This was the second win this season for UMary over a nationally-ranked team nationally-ranked team when the game was played. The Marauders have another two wins over teams in the national rankings.
In a pitching duel between two of the top starting pitchers in the Northern Sun, UMary's
Lucas Burgum and Augie's Ethan Hoffman both pitched into the seventh inning while allowing three total runs.
Burgum's string of 19 straight innings without allowing an earned run ended in the second when a bases loaded walk scored the game's first run for the Vikings. The Mandan, ND, native then spun four straight scoreless innings as UMary trailed 1-0 after six innings.
The Marauders tied the game in the seventh when Butts earned a bases loaded walk of his own to score
Cru Walker with the tying run.
The Vikings regained the lead in the bottom of the inning on a Joshua Koskie pinch hit run-scoring double.
After stranding a runner in scoring position in the eighth inning, the Marauders struck quick in the ninth. Following a one-out single by
Kalem Haney, Butts drove a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence to push UMary to a 3-2 lead.
The Marauders summoned Smith to the mound for the ninth inning. After retiring the first two baters on fly balls, the sophomore allowed a single up the middle before finishing the game with a strikeout to earn his second save of the season.
Butts finished 2-for-4 with a home run. He drove in all three runs and scored once.
Isaac Pegors doubled and finished with two hits.
Kieran Gaffney also delivered a pair of hits and stole a base.
Burgum limited the Vikings to three hits and two runs in six innings. He struck out six and walked five. The righthander has gone at least five innings in all six of his starts this season.
Jack Thompson,
Kaden Coldwell and Smith all pitched a scoreless inning.
Hoffman threw 6.1 innings for Augie, allowing one run on three walks and five hits. He struck out six.
GAME 2: Augie 17 UMary 9
Despite grand slams from both
Isaac Pegors and
Bryce Leafgren, the Marauders were unable to keep pace on the scoreboard with the Vikings in a 17-9 loss.
UMary scored first but Augie followed with six runs in the bottom of the first inning to tale a 6-1 lead.
Pegors hit the Marauders first grand slam in the second to close the gap to 6-5 before the Vikings tacked on four more runs for a 10-5 lead after three innings.
One swing by Leafgren once again closed the gap to a single run for the Marauders as the UMary first baseman's grand slam in the fourth inning pulled UMary within 10-9.
Augie pulled away with three runs in the fourth and two runs in each of the next two innings. UMary managed just two hits over the final three innings.
Pegors finished the game 2-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBIs. Leafgren went 1-for-2 with a run scored and four RBIs. Gaffney doubled and had two hits for the second straight game and
Kalem Haney scored twice.
Kobe Eikmeier scored four times, drove in two runs and stole three bases. Ragan Pinnow also scored three runs.
#marauders#
