Spring Arbor, Mich. - The Marian softball team pulled out a pair of come-from-behind victories on Friday afternoon in Michigan, scoring runs in the final three innings of both contests as they swept Spring Arbor. Marian's two wins improve the overall record on the year to 38-4, while jumping to 27-3 in Crossroads League play.
Game 1 | Marian 4-3 Spring Arbor
For the second time this season against Spring Arbor, the Knights fell behind in the opening inning of doubleheader against the Cougars, with the home team drawing first blood. After Emmalee Hamp picked up a pair of strikeouts against Marian in the top of the inning, Spring Arbor's pitcher tagged
Olivia Stunkel for a one-out double, coming in to score two batters later after a single and fielder's choice moved her around the bases.
Marian attempted to match the run in the top of the second, but wasted an opportunity as
Grace Meyer reached on a walk and
Brenna Fink singled to left. Spring Arbor kept momentum going as they aimed to add to their lead in the home half as Stunkel walked the bases loaded, but the sophomore was able to get out of the self-inflicted jam with three strikeouts. Stunkel would not be as successful in the third inning however, as the Knights' ace gave up a two-out, two-RBI double to Summer Ambler as the base hit vaulted the Cougars total to three runs on the game.
Stunkel got out of the jam, and after pitching a perfect fourth inning, Marian gave the pitcher help as they brought in three runs in the fifth. A second single in the game for Fink gave Marian a lead runner, and after a
Savannah Baker and sacrifice bunt from
Brooke Knox, an RBI single from
Savannah Harweger drove in the Knights' first run.
Anna Pritchett would single to load the bases, and on a grounder hit to the shortstop by
Abby Madere, both Baker and Harweger were able to score as the Cougars' throw went wild, tying the game.
Marian would leave two runners on base to end the fifth and see the score tied at 3-3, coming back strong in the top of the sixth following a quick three-batter home side of the fifth.
Grace Meyer doubled to left to start the frame, with Knox reaching on an error to extend the frame with two outs. Harweger dug in and spiked a single into left field as a hard hit ball bounced over the third baseman's head, scoring Meyer from third to give Marian a go-ahead run.
Leading 4-3, Stunkel had to work to close the win, as Spring Arbor threatened in both the sixth and seventh innings to go in front. In the sixth the Cougars loaded the bases with a single and two walks, but came up empty as the Marian ace trusted her defense with flyouts to left and center field to leave three runners on. In the seventh Stunkel worked quickly to get the first two outs, however two runners would get on via an error and walk. With the winning run on first base, Stunkel left a ball over the plate for Summer Ambler, but her hard line drive to center field was snared by
Anna Pritchett, with the freshman making the game-ending catch to close the game.
Stunkel's complete game win came after allowing six hits and walking six batters, giving up three runs in the win. The sophomore managed five strikeouts in the win, as she moved her win total to 19 on the year. At the plate Marian had eight base hits with Harweger leading the way with three. Fink had two hits in the win, and Meyer had the only extra base hit.
Game 2 | Marian 3-1 Spring Arbor
Another low-scoring contest was on hands for the fans in game two of the doubleheader, as
Sydney Wilson locked into a pitcher's duel against Mackenzie Collins. Both of the pitchers yielded a hit before stranding a runner in the opening frame, while Wilson had to work around a lead-off single to pitch a scoreless second. Collins kept the Knights off the base path in both the second and third innings, and in the home half of the third inning Wilson again had to work, stranding a lead-off single at second base to keep the shutout in tact.
In the fourth inning Collins once again sat the Knights down in order as the bats cooled off after
Anna Pritchett's first inning single, and in the home half the shutout was snapped as Wilson got into a jam. After hitting the lead-off batter, Wilson and her defense was able to get the next two batters out on a pair of groundouts. One out away from ending the threat with a runner on third, Summer Ambler was able to leg out an infield single, driving in Grace Lentz for the game's first run. Wilson got a strikeout to close the fourth, ending the inning trailing 1-0.
Both sides were retired in order in the fifth, leaving Marian with six outs to work with to try and tie the game. The comeback got started with the lead batters in the sixth inning, as
Caroline Roop and
Mackenzie Dalton roped back to back singles into right field. A fly ball from
Savannah Harweger moved Roop 60 feet closer to the plate, and after
Brenna Fink entered to pinch hit, the freshman hit a hard grounder to second base, breaking up a double play to tie the game as the catcher raced home.
Anna Pritchett re-entered and quickly stole second to move into scoring position, scoring off the bat of
Abby Madere who doubled to right center. A
Sierra Norman RBI single directly after her teammate's hit drove in Madere, pushing Marian in front 3-1.
With a lead at hand, Wilson worked quick in the sixth mowing down the Cougars lineup in order. In the seventh the senior picked up a quick strikeout, but saw a runner reach base on a dropped pop up. After getting a groundout back to the circle for the second out, Wilson repeated the formula for the third, fielding her position to make the final out of the night and win the game for Marian 3-1.
The senior pitcher gave up just four hits in the complete game win, earning her 16th victory of the season as she struckout four while additionally fielding her position three times. Marian managed just five hits total in the second game, with Roop and Dalton's sixth inning singles starting Marian's rally.
Marian will return home on Saturday for their senior day and alumni day celebrations, as they welcome Indiana Wesleyan to town on their final home Saturday of the season. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. with the ISC Sports Network anchoring the coverage.
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