MISHAWAKA, Ind. – After sweeping Bethel in Tuesday's doubleheader, the Marian softball team has increased their win streak to 19. The two conference wins improves the Knights' record to 8-0 in Crossroads League play and 19-1 overall.
Game 1 | Marian 7-0 Bethel
Marian scored early after an RBI single by Sierra Norman that would send Savannah Harweger home after leading the game off with a single to take the early 1-0 lead in inning one.
After Olivia Stunkel worked a quick three up three down, while striking out two, the Knights padded on the runs in the top of the third. Harweger led off with a homerun to start the scoring tear before Grace Meyer picked up the RBI single, and Hayley Greene hit the two-run bomb to left center to extend the Knights' lead to 5-0. Stunkel continued to do work as she struck out two and allowed only one hit in the bottom of third.
The Knights padded on two more runs in the fifth inning as Abby Madere kicked the inning off with a double before Brooke Knox hit her first career homerun to give Marian the 7-0 advantage. Abigail McPherson came in at the bottom of the fifth to finish off the Pilots, as she struck out one and allowed no hits in her first inning pitched.
Marian recorded no hits in the final two innings, but McPherson pitched solid in the final two innings by allowing only one hit.
Stunkel picked up her ninth win in the circle in four innings pitched, as the sophomore pitcher struck out six and only allowed two hits. In the Knights 11 hits, Harweger led with three, including one homerun and a double. Madere had two hits, picking up a double, while Knox and Greene each hit a homerun. Green and Knox each led the RBI category with two.
Game 2 | Marian 10-1 Bethel | 6 Innings
Scoring for the Knights came later in game two, as Harweger registered the only hit through the first two innings. However, Caroline Roop began the hits for the Knights as she singled to lead off the top of the third before Anna Pritchett and Harweger each got on base. With bases loaded, Jenna Minnix hit the sacrifice fly to right field to score Roop for Marian's first run. Marian gathered two more runs in the inning with Pritchett and Meyer scoring on the Pilots' errors.
Marian left a runner on base to close out the action in the fourth inning, before erupting for seven runs in the top of the fifth. The Knights' first of seven runs came after Norman hit the RBI before advancing to second on the throw. Madere had an RBI double with runners in scoring position, while Knox followed with the RBI single to extend the lead to 6-0. Marian tacked on four more runs with Harweger scoring two on her double, and Minnix hitting the single to score two.
Bethel managed to score their first run of the game on an RBI single, but with the dominating 10-1 lead at hand, the Pilots could not put anything else together and the game would finish after six innings with the Knights picking up the 10-1 victory.
Sydney Wilson pitched a perfect game through four innings as she improves to 8-0. Wilson struck out five, allowing two hits, and a run. Harweger and Minnix led with two hits, while also picking up two RBI. Harweger and Madere each recorded a double, with Madere also earning an RBI.
The Knights will return home on Thursday for a doubleheader with Huntington, with the first game beginning at 3 p.m.
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