Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Melbourne, Fla. - The Marian softball team split on their final day in Florida as the team suffered their first loss on the young season, with Marian dropping game one against Aquinas before winning the second against Mount Mercy. Marian is 11-1 overall on the season, finishing the week with a 9-1 record.

Game 1 | Marian 1-5 Aquinas
Aquinas took the early jump in game one of the day for Marian, scoring two runs in the first inning against starter Macy Coan. Coan would get out of the inning with a pop up as two runs would score on four hits, but was unable to get run support as the Saints retired the side in order in Marian's first at bats of the game. 

Coan would settle in and pitch a scoreless second inning, following with a scoreless third as she stranded a single in the frame. Marian continued to look sluggish in their trips to the plate, as two runners were left on in the second inning while the side was sat down in order in the third. In the fourth, Aquinas took advantage of an early error and three hits, scoring three runs in total in the inning to end Coan's day. Katie Lackman would come in relief as she made her collegiate pitching debut, and was able to clean up the inning as a pop up ended the fourth with Marian trailing 5-0.

Lackman would finish the game in the circle, pitching strong in relief as she allowed just two hits in the final three innings, pitching a shutout in her debut. The Knights were unable to get Lackman into winning position however, as the offense managed just one productive inning, as a run would score in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly hit by Sierra Norman. The Knights failed to keep a rally going after getting their first run in the sixth, and in the seventh saw three consecutive outs as the game ended in a 5-1 defeat for Marian.

Marian was only able to muster three base hits in the loss, with Savannah Harweger, Lily Wendt, and Hayley Greene each recording Marian's hits. Sierra Norman drove in the only run with her RBI sacrifice fly. Coan would take the loss on the mound, suffering her first defeat on the season allowing five runs and eight hits. Lackman picked up her first career strikeout as she pitched 3.1 innings of relief, allowing just two hits. 

Game 2 | Marian 11-0 Mount Mercy | 5 Innings
Looking to was the taste their loss from their mouths, Marian put up a run early in their second game of the day, getting a scoreless first inning of work from Jaylah Guilliam against Mount Mercy. The Mustangs gave up a run in the home side as Savannah Harweger led the game with a bunt single, scoring two batters later on an RBI groundout from Abby Madere.

Guilliam picked up another run of support after retiring the side in the order in the top of the second, as Brooke Knox kept her hot streak going with an RBI double in the bottom of the second. The 2-0 lead would stand going into the home half of the third inning, as the senior pitcher for the Knights shook off a two-out triple with a looking strikeout to end the inning.

Marian picked up their scoring in the bottom of the third after Guilliam's strikeout, charging the bats for eight runs on seven hits. Marian would load the bases quickly, and pick up two runs on Grace Meyer's RBI double. An RBI single from Abbey Hoffman gave Marian their fifth run of the day, and two batters later Knox delivered a two RBI base hit for runs six and seven. Harweger and Anna Pritchett would get on base with infield singles, and Madere cleaned the bases in the following at bat, ripping a three RBI double to left-center to cap the eight-run inning. Marian would lead 10-0 after three complete innings.

After a series of position changes for Marian, the Knights would hand the ball over to Lauren Mayer for the final six outs of the game, with the sophomore delivering two scoreless innings. In the bottom of the fourth Marian would add one final run, as Raegan Hiatt smoked an RBI single to center field to score Abbey Hoffman who tripled earlier in the frame. Hiatt's RBI would be the final run of the game, as Mayer ended the game in five innings with Marian winning 11-0.

Hoffman finished the game with a triple, going 3-3 with three runs scored. Madere led the team in RBI with four as she had two hits, while Harweger and Knox each had two hits in the win. Guilliam picked up the win in the circle to move to 4-0 on the year, allowing one hit while getting two strikeouts. Mayer struckout one and allowed two hits in her two innings of work. 

The Knights will be back in action on March 12 when they return from Florida, hitting the road to take on Grace College in their Crossroads League opener. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.

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