ST. CLOUD, MN – For the first time in program history, the University of Mary baseball team swept a doubleheader from St. Cloud State University as the Marauders extended their win streak to 11 games. UMary pitching dominated the day as the Marauders claimed 8-1 and 3-1 wins over the Huskies, holding SCSU to eight hits total in the two games.
The Marauders, who entered the day with just four wins in 41 games all-time against the Huskies, improved to 34-15 overall this season and 27-9 in the Northern Sun. SCSU is 20-28 overall and 16-19 in the NSIC.
UMary will finish third in the NSIC standings and will be the third seed in the NSIC tournament May 6-9 in Sioux Falls, SD. Both the finish and the seeding are program-highs for the Marauders, who earlier in the week set a school record for wins in a season.
The Marauders and the Huskies close out the regular season with a single 9-inning NSIC game at 12 noon on Saturday, May 2, at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, MN.
GAME 1 | University of Mary 8 St. Cloud State 1
Isaac Pegors broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning with an opposite field 3-run home run to support a strong performance on the mound by
Lucas Burgum and
Jack Thompson in an 8-1 game one win for UMary over St. Cloud State.
The Marauders and the Huskes traded runs early. A
Bryce Leafgren double to score
Mikey Ramirez in the third inning game the Marauders the early lead. The Huskies pulled even in the fourth on a ground ball out.
UMary broke open a pitching duel between Bergum and Kahler Key, two of the top hurlers in the NSIC, with a five-run outburst in the fifth inning.
Following a leadoff single by
Kalem Haney and a walk to
Marcus Butts, Pegors deposited his team-leading 15
th home run of the season over the right field fence for a 4-1 lead. Leafgren and
Hank Griffin followed with singles and eventually scored on a 2-out 2-run
Cru Walker single to right center to gain an insurmountable 6-1advantage.
UMary closed the scoring in the seventh on a
Kieran Gaffney 2-run single through the right side of a drawn-in infield.
Fresh off a 2-hit shutout in his last start, Burgum picked up his fifth win this season by limiting the Huskies to three hits and one run in five innings. The Mandan, ND, native struck out three and walked two. Burgum has pitched at least five innings in all 11 of his starts this season.
Thompson finished off the win with two scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out two.
Pegors posted a home run, two hits and three RBIs. Leafgren and Griffin both doubled, had two hits and scored twice.
Liam Moreno had two hits for SCSU. Key Struck out six in six innings and allowed all eight runs.
GAME 2 | University of Mary 3 St. Cloud State University 1
Another dominant pitching effort for UMary by
Aiden Johnson and
Ryan Chamberlain led the Marauders to a 3-1 win and a doubleheader sweep over the Huskies. The loss eliminated the Huskies hopes of making the NSIC tournament.
Johnson matched up with SCSU starter Bryce Brassfield in another pitching duel between the two teams. This time the Huskies scored first with a single run in the third before the Marauders evened the game in the fourth on a
Luke Rhee single to score
Bryce Leafgren.
Twice Johnson eliminated the Huskies in order in his six innings and in only two innings did runners reach scoring position. The senior righthander held SCSU to three hits and one run in six innings. He walked just one hitter and struck out one.
Chamberlain took over for Johnson in the seventh and continued to hold the Huskies in check with a little help from the UMary defense. Following a one-out single, the Marauders ended the inning with a double play on a strike out by Chamberlain and
Marcus Butts throwing out the baserunner at second attempting to steal on the pitch.
UMary then stunned SCSU with a two-out rally in the eighth.
Hank Griffin singled through the left side with two outs and nobody on base. Taking second on a wild pitch, Griffin broke the tie on an
Andrew Linn single to right. Linn, who smartly took second base on the throw home attempting to throw out Griffin, scored on a
Luke Rhee base hit to second for a 3-1 UMary lead.
Chamberlain set the Huskies down in order in the eighth before the UMary defense took center stage in the ninth.
With a runner on first,
Mikey Ramirez preserved the Marauders lead when he tracked down a long drive in the left center gap and made a diving grab for the first out of the ninth inning. An infield single followed but Chamberlain ended the threat when he induced a ground ball up the middle. Griffin cleanly picked up the roller before stepping on second for the force out and firing to first to complete the double play and finish off the Marauders sweep.
Linn delivered three of the Marauders nine hits in the game, driving in one run and scoring once. Rhee added two hits and two RBIs.
Chamberlain earned his team-leading sixth win and improved to 6-1 on the season after pitching three scoreless innings. He struck out two hitters and gave up just two hits and a walk.
Brassfield struck out seven and allowed just two runs in 7.2 innings for SCSU.
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