Winona Lake, Ind. - The Marian softball team improved to 30-2 on the 2023 season with a sweep of Grace College on Tuesday afternoon, claiming a pair of victories for head coach Scott Fleming who recorded his 700th career win as the Marian head coach with the game one victory. Fleming is the NAIA's 15th coach to reach 700 career wins and the third out of the Crossroads League, with Fleming reaching the milestone the fastest out of any coach in CL history.
GAME 1 | Marian 10-1 Grace | 6 Innings
After a scoreless first inning, the Marian bats broke open the scoreboard in the second inning as the Knights plated three runs in their second trip to the plate. A wild pitch that struck
Sierra Norman and walk to
Hayley Greene started the inning, with
Grace Meyer cleaning up the bases with a two-RBI double to left field. The two-base hit forced a pitching changed as Grace went to the bullpen, and after the change the hits continued with
Mackenzie Dalton blasting a single into right field, scoring the catcher to provide a 3-0 lead.
Olivia Stunkel dialed in after the offensive assault, striking out two batters in the second as she stranded a two-out single. The Lancers would tack on their lone run of the game in the ensuing frame as Stunkel was unable to prevent a score after an error and two-out double led to a Grace score, but limited the damage with a flyout to left. Stunkel would strikeout the side in the fourth as she returned to her top shape, and in the fifth gained a run as a lead-off single from
Abbi Wirey would come in to score on an RBI groundout from the catcher Meyer.
Leading 4-1 entering the sixth after a four-batter inning faced by Stunkel in the home half of the fifth, the bats went to work once again as Marian drove in six runs after recording six base hits. A single from
Anna Pritchett led the inning off, and after a base hit for
Savannah Harweger and walk drawn by Jenna minnix, a single from
Abby Madere would bring home one run.
Sierra Norman plated two with an RBI single and
Hayley Greene recorded an RBI with her sacrifice fly to drive the score to 8-1, with Norman scoring in the next at bat on a wild pitch. A
Mackenzie Dalton RBI double would score the final run of the game, driving home
Grace Meyer to give the Knights their 10-1 advantage.
Abigail McPherson would close the game in the circle for Marian, working out of a self-inflicted bases loaded jam to complete the win, giving the Knights their 29th win following the 10-1 final. Stunkel moved to 15-1 on the season after claiming the win, allowing three hits and an unearned run as she struck out seven batters in five innings of work. Madere, Norman, and Dalton each had two hits in the win, while Meyer had a team-best three RBI.
The win was head coach Scott Fleming's 700th as the Marian softball head coach, as the winningest coach in Marian athletics history accomplished the feat just over the mid-way point in his 20th season as the Marian head coach. In his 20 seasons, Fleming has eight 40-win seasons, with the 2023 Knights on pace to be his ninth season with the accomplishment.
GAME 2 | Marian 13-4 Grace
Game two saw the Knights fall behind against the Lancers, as the home team struck in their first at bat off of
Sydney Wilson with three hits doing the job to bring in a pair of runs. Wilson would get out of the jam leaving the bases loaded, and in the top of the second saw the game move to an even contest, as
Grace Meyer would score on an inside-the-park home run ripped to right field by
Caroline Roop.
The 2-2 score stood until the bottom of the third inning, as Grace tested Wilson once again. The senior issued a lead-off walk before getting the next two batters out, however Wilson left a pitch over the plate for Laikin Lowe, who towered a home run to left field to provide a 4-2 Lancer lead. Grace would get another hit as Brooke Elgin hit a double off the Marian pitcher, but a groundout ended the threat with a runner at second.
Marian wasted no time getting the runs back, as a
Hayley Greene single led off the fourth inning, with
Grace Meyer singling behind her. An error in the outfield would allow Greene to score on Meyer's hit, and following a single from
Mackenzie Dalton, Roop picked up an RBI with her groundout to second, tying the game. Wilson worked quick in the home half to get the offense back on the field as she faced the minimum in the fourth getting a double play from her defense to end the frame, and in the fifth three more runs crossed the plate, with Greene, Meyer, and
Brenna Fink recording RBI to take a 7-4 lead.
In the sixth inning Marian blew the game open, scoring four runs without a hit, as four walks and an error helped the lead grow to 11-4. With a comfortable advantage at hand the Knights went to the bullpen, with Jaylah Guillium entering to throw a three-up, three-down sixth inning.
Maddy Trisler and Meyer added RBI to their ledger in the top of the seventh inning to push the score to the final tally of 13-4, and in the home half Guilliam stranded a pair of walks with three consecutive outs to seal the win.
The Knights had 13 hits in the win to match their 13 runs, with Meyer going 3-4 in the outing to lead the way. Meyer also had three RBI, and scored two runs. Greene had a pair of hits in the win, and Roop recorded three RBI with her inside-the-park home run going down as her first career home run. Wilson moved to 13-0 in the circle with the win, allowing eight hits in the game. Guilliam threw two innings of scoreless relief.
Marian will continue their road trip on Friday afternoon, traveling to Huntington as they start a doubleheader at 3 p.m.
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