Spring Arbor, Mich. - The Marian softball team ended their season-series with Spring Arbor on Friday afternoon, splitting the doubleheader as each team recorded a shutout win on the day. Marian is now 34-8 overall on the season and 22-6 in the Crossroads League following the exchange in wins and losses.

Game 1 | Marian 3-0 Spring Arbor
Olivia Stunkel and Elena Jones locked horns in a pitcher's duel in the opening game on Friday afternoon, as each pitcher opened the game with five shutout innings. Both sides faced the minimum in the first inning, while in the second Jones stranded a Grace Meyer single, while Stunkel scattered a walk with Anna Pritchett recording an outfield assist at second on a two-out single.

Marian's trips to the plate in the third and fourth inning went down in order as the shutout continued, while Stunkel stranded a base hit in the third and a walk in the fourth. The Knights again were retired in order by Jones in the fifth, while Stunkel returned to her first inning form with a three-up, three-down frame in the fifth.

In the sixth inning Marian was able to shake off their funk, as Hayley Greene reached on an error in the outfield, taking two bases on the free pass. Anna Pritchett followed by reaching on an error as well, and two batters later Brooke Knox singled to load the bases. Abby Madere broke the shutout following Knox's base hit, driving home two runs with a base hit to center field. Sierra Norman added to Marian's lead with an RBI base hit of her own, pushing Marian's lead to 3-0. 

With a lead at hand, the Knights locked down the final two innings behind Stunkel's right arm, as the junior pitched back to back scoreless frames to close the win. The junior scattered a base hit in both innings, striking out the side in the sixth while ending the game in the seventh with a groundout to shortstop, closing the 3-0 win.

In the win, Marian put up five hits, coming from five different players. Madere and Norman combined for the team's three RBI, and Lily Wendt joined the quartet of Madere, Norman, Meyer, and Knox with a base hit. In the circle, Stunkel claimed her 19th win of the season, allowing four hits in the shutout win. Stunkel retired seven batters on strikeouts, closing her seventh shutout on the season.

Game 2 | Marian 0-1 Spring Arbor
The second act of the doubleheader also featured a pitching masterclass, as Macy Coan and Emmalee Hamp put up strong outings from the circle. Marian was retired in order in the first, and in the home half Hamp helped her own cause with a lead-off single, reaching third after a walk and fielder's choice groundout. With runners on the corners, the Cougars executed a double-steal, with Maddy Thrush swiping second base to allow Hamp to steal the plate, putting the game's first and eventual only run.

Both sides sent just three batters to the plate in the second inning, with Hamp retiring the side in order while Coan utilized a double play to wipe out a lead-off single. In the top of the third Marian had a chance to break the game open as Hayley Greene reached on an error and Caroline Roop scored a base hit, putting two runners on. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners over and an error allowed Savannah Harweger to reach base safely, but Marian came up empty in their quest for runs as a foul out and ground out ended the inning with Marian scoreless.

The Knights again put a runner on in the fourth on Abbey Hofmann's two-out hit following Coan stranding two runners in the home half of the third, but a strikeout closed the opportunity. Coan pitched out of trouble in the fourth as she left three Cougars on base, stranding three base hits with a pair of groundouts. Two runner's reached base for Marian in the fifth, but Hamp and Spring Arbor did their job to prevent runs as Jenna Minnix and Savannah Harweger were caught stealing. The game would remain 1-0 in favor of the home team after five complete as Coan left two Cougars stuck on the base path.

Marian was retired in order in the sixth, and in their final opportunity to rally in the seventh, Marian got a good start as Grace Meyer was hit by a pitch. Emily Phillips came on to pinch run for the designated player, but would fail to move to second base, as a pair of flyouts and strikeout closed the game, as Hamp and Spring Arbor recorded the 1-0 shutout.

Coan threw six innings of one-run softball on Friday, allowing eight hits and two walks in the complete game loss. The freshman pitcher recorded one strikeout on the day. At the plate, Harweger, Hofmann, and Roop had one base hit each. The Knights left five runners on base in the defeat, while Coan stranded nine Cougars.

Marian will play their final ranked opponent of the regular season on Saturday afternoon, traveling to No. 17 Indiana Wesleyan. Game one of the twin bill starts at 1:00 p.m.

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