Melbourne, Fla. - The Marian softball team got off to a strong start in their 2023 spring break trip, earning wins on day one against Roosevelt and Michigan-Dearborn. The Knights run-rule and shutout victories improve the overall season record to 3-1.

Marian 9-1 Roosevelt | 5 Innings

After a scoreless first inning, the Knights began to generate runs in the second inning, as Abby Madere led the frame off with a double. After stealing to move 60 feet away from scoring, Mackenzie Dalton lifted a fly ball into the outfield, sacrificing her plate appearance to bring in the first run. Marian kept the inning going as Abbi Wirey drew a walk and Caitlyn Phillips singled in the infield. With two runners on, Jenna Minnix ripped a ball into a gap in left field, turning on the jets as she recorded an inside-the-park homerun to cap the four-run inning.

The Knights continued to groove into the third inning after Olivia Stunkel tossed her third consecutive perfect inning, and added three more runs in the home half of the frame. A two-out double from Dalton helped charge runners to the plate, with Wirey delivering a two-RBI single. A pair of errors in Caitlyn Phillips' second at bat would help bring Wirey home, capping the scoring to provide a 7-0 lead. Stunkel's bid for perfection ended after recording the 10th out of the game as Roosevelt managed an infield single, but the Marian sophomore faced the minimum as a pop out and a Grace Meyer pick off play closed the inning.

Marian finished their scoring in the bottom of the fourth, bringing home two runs in the half inning. Minnix, Hayley Greene, and Madere loaded the bases on a pair of base hits and Madere taking one for the team, with Dalton chalking an RBI as she drew a walk. Savannah Baker picked up a pinch-hit RBI single to drive the run total to nine, entering the fifth three outs away from a victory. Roosevelt would tack on a run in their final at bats as Lauren Mayer made her collegiate debut in the circle, giving up three singles and a run before ending the game on a routine groundout.

As a team the Knights recorded 10 base hits in their 9-1 victory, with Minnix and Greene each getting two hits. Minnix's home run was the Knights first of the season, as she had three of the eight RBI. Stunkel faced the minimum allowing one hit over four innings, earning her first win of the year as she struckout three batters.

Marian 2-0 Michigan-Dearborn

In their second game of the day, the Knights locked into a pitcher's duel with Michigan-Dearborn, as the Wolverines' Lanie Ellinger battled against Sydney Wilson. Ellinger retired the Knights in order in the first inning with three strikeouts, while Wilson stranded a lead-off single in her first frame of work. Marian was the lone team to record a base runner in the second as Wirey reached on an error, but the Knights were unable to compound the mistake. Wilson tossed a perfect second inning, and the game remained scoreless after three complete as Marian was retired in order in the top half, with the southpaw stranding runners on the corners in the home half.

Marian's offense started clicking in the fourth inning as Minnix led the frame with a single, and with two outs Greene sliced a single and Wirey drew a walk to load the bases. The Wolverines stood tall and managed to prevent Marian from scoring as a strikeout ended the chance, but the Knights stood on top as Wilson quickly tossed a perfect fourth. In the fifth Marian was finally able to break the tie, as Anna Pritchett started a rally with a one-out single. A walk moved the freshman into scoring position, who darted home on a Sierra Norman RBI single to score the game's first run.

Wilson continued to throw strong as she stranded a pair of two-out singles in the fifth, and got stronger in the sixth after getting an insurance run on an RBI single from Savannah Harweger. Wilson shut down the Wolverines in order in the sixth, and in the seventh the senior managed to work around two base hits, ending the game as Hayley Greene snared a line drive out of the air down the third base line. 

In the 2-0 win, Wilson stranded seven Dearborn base hits over 81 pitches, earning her second win of the season. Marian had seven hits of their own in the win, with Pritchett leading the team with a pair of singles. Harweger and Greene each had a stolen base in the win, and Meyer drew two of the team's four walks.

Marian will return to action on Tuesday morning, taking on Culver-Stockton and Cornerstone. Game one on March 7 will begin at 9 a.m.

MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos and more.