Columbus, Ga. - Marian softball's five-game postseason winning streak came to an end on Saturday night, as strong offense from the University of the Cumberlands over-powered the Knights in a 9-6 defeat at the NAIA World Series. Marian dropped to 51-8 on the season with the loss, falling to the elimination bracket in the World Series.
Marian got on base early in the offensive game, loading the bases through a walk, single, and error in the first four plate appearances. The Knights would record the second out of the inning before denting the board, as
Grace Meyer drew a two-out walk to score the first run of the night. A soft lineout to third base would end the inning with the bases full, and in the bottom of the frame the Patriots retaliated with a two-run home run from Makenzie Keatts.
Olivia Stunkel got out of the inning after allowing the home run with a pair of flyouts, ending the first inning trailing 2-1.
The Knights were retired in order in the second, and in the home side a two-out double that clipped Stunkel extended the frame, with two two singles pushing in the Patriots' third run of the night. Marian would inch closer in the third inning as
Anna Pritchett and
Abby Madere roped back to back singles, with Pritchett scoring from second on a sacrifice bunt laid by
Hayley Greene. The freshman's heads-up base running brought Marian within a run as they trailed 3-2 entering the bottom of the third following a flyout that closed the inning.
In the bottom of the third inning, the wheels began to fall off for Stunkel, as the Patriots offense ignited for four hits and four runs. A solo home run for Keatts looked to be the lone run of the inning as the Marian pitcher rebounded with a groundout and strikeout, but a walk and three consecutive base hits to left field ended the sophomore's outing.
Sydney Wilson came on out of the bullpen to get the final out of the frame, with the damage done as Marian trailed 7-2.
Marian was unable to get a rally started in the fourth as the Cumberlands kept their high-voltage attack going in the home half with Keatts hitting her third home run of the game, extending the Patriots' lead to six runs. The Knights whittled away at their deficit in the fifth inning as a lead-off triple for
Savannah Harweger woke the dugout, with
Sierra Norman and Greene producing RBI in the frame. The pair of runs brought Marian back within four as the game moved into the bottom half of the fifth, but the Patriots had one final run in them as they scored on an infield groundout. Wilson avoided a potential run-rule with the winning run on base by getting a strikeout to end the inning, as the Knights trailed 9-4.
The Knights made one final push as they forced a second pitching change in the sixth inning, getting a jolt from
Caroline Roop who belted a one-out solo home run to right-center.
Abbi Wirey would draw a pinch-hit walk and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, scoring off the bat of Harweger who ripped an RBI single through the middle. The rally ended after the base hit as the Patriots ended the frame, and in the seventh inning Marian was retired in order, ending the game in a 9-6 loss.
Harweger and Madere made up four of the team's seven hits in the loss, with Harweger scoring twice in the game. Greene, Pritchett and Roop each had one hit, with Roop's home run standing as one of two extra base hits. Stunkel suffered her fourth loss of the season in the circle, throwing 2.2 innings while allowing seven runs on nine hits. Wilson surrendered four hits that gave up two runs in her 3.1 innings of relief work. The pitching staff combined for five strikeouts, with Wilson's four leading the duo.
Marian will look to extend their season on Monday afternoon, as the Knights take on Georgia Gwinnett at 1 p.m. in the elimination bracket.
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