INDIANAPOLIS – Marian softball continued their success Tuesday evening with a pair of wins over Goshen to make it their 15th straight win. The Knights took down the Maple Leafs 7-2 in game one, followed by the 8-6 victory in game two. With the wins, Marian moves to 15-1 overall and 4-0 in Crossroads League play.
Game 1 | Marian 7-2 Goshen
Going scoreless through the first three innings, the bats started to get hot in the bottom of the third with back-to-back bunts from Savannah Harweger and Jenna Minnix, before Sierra Norman hit the RBI for the Knights' first run. Marian went up 4-0 on the next play as Meyer hit the three-run homerun.
The scoring continued for the Knights in the fourth with Harweger sending one over the fence in right center with Mackenzie Dalton scoring after she singled earlier in the inning. Olivia Stunkel continued to work through the Goshen batters to help Marian maintain their 6-0 lead. Savannah Baker homered to kick off the sixth inning, tacking on one more run for Marian.
Going into the final inning of play, Stunkel was on her way to a no hitter before a two-run homer and single spoiled it. Stunkel stayed calm and struck out the next batter before Meyer caught the Maple Leaf runner on the steal to end the game with the 7-2 Marian victory.
Harweger, Meyer, and Baker all homered in the win, while Meyer also recorded a double. Harweger and Meyer each had two hits, and recorded three and two RBI, respectively. Stunkel was impressive in the circle as she struck out seven batters while giving up only two hits to pick up her seventh win of the season.
Game 2 | Marian 8-6 Goshen
Goshen struck first by scoring the first run of game two to take the early 1-0 lead. Sydney Wilson gave her team some momentum in the top of the third after she went three up three down, as Brooke Knox led off the bottom of the third with a single through the left side. Anna Pritchett would join Knox on base with a single of her own before Norman hit a homerun to give Marian the 3-1 lead. Brenna Fink came in to pinch hit as she was hit by the pitch with bases loaded to give the Knights one last run in the inning.
The Knights continued to pile on runs with two more coming in the bottom of the fourth inning after Norman hit her second bomb of the game with Harweger on base. An RBI double for Knox padded onto Marian's lead as they went up 7-1 going into the top of the sixth.
Things started to get interesting in the top of the sixth as Goshen began to claw at their sixth run deficit. A two-run homer began a scoring frenzy for the Maple Leafs, as the next batter singled to left center which was the followed by another two-run bomb to make it 7-5. Goshen worked runners into scoring position after two steals, which would pay off after a single sent a runner in to cut Marian's lead to one.
Marian was able to score an insurance run after Meyer's RBI single before the Maple Leafs ended the inning. Goshen had bases loaded in their final chance to tie the game or take the lead, but Wilson stepped up big after subbing back into the game to strike out the final batter to guide her team to the 8-6 victory.
Norman was flawless at bat as she went 3-3, notching two home runs, five RBI, two hits, and scored three times. Baker had two doubles, and Knox had one, while they each added a pair of hits. Wilson moved to 6-0 inside the circle as she struck out five, giving up two runs.
Marian will return to action tomorrow at 3 p.m. when they take on St. Francis (Ind.) on the road.
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