March 20, 2008

Minneapolis – The University of Mary bats woke up early as the Marauders scored five first inning runs on their way to sweeping a Northern Sun-opening dawn doubleheader over Northern State. The Marauders won the first game 6-5 and game two 3-1.

The first pitch at the Northern Sun Metrodome Classic occurred at 6:30 a.m. In the NSIC opener for both teams, the Marauders jumped on the Wolves for five quick runs. After Andy Leer and Nate Watson opened the game with singles, Mike Feldman hit a third-straight single to score Leer. Tyler Liffrig walked to load the bases and a one-out bases-loaded walk to Casey Gray put U-Mary up 2-0. A wild pitch scored a third run before Mitch Peterson knocked in a fourth on a fielder’s choice. Dan Eichle capped the outburst with a two-out run-scoring single.

The game settled down as neither team recorded another base hit or a run until the fifth inning when U-Mary used a walk and two singles to score. Ryan Lee rapped a two-out single to extend U-Mary’s lead to 6-0.

Matt Leer held Northern State in check until the fifth inning when the Wolves finally broke through with their first hits and runs of the game. NSU opened with three straight hits, capped by a two-run single by Austin Simmons to close the gap to 6-2. Northern State added another run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly, but Tim Long, now pitching in relief of Matt Leer, ended the Wolves rally without allowing any more runs.

Lucas Jung led off the seventh with a triple for Northern State, prompting the Marauders to bring in Andrew Bartlett in relief. He was promptly met by a double from Mitch Locke, closing the gap to 6-4. A walk and a sacrifice bunt pushed the Wolves runners over to second and third with one out, and Locke scored on a ground out to short to make the score 6-5 with the tying run on third. Having already lost four games in the opponent’s final at bats this season, the Marauders made sure it would not happen again as Bartlett got NSU’s Andy Kampsen, the NSIC’s pre-season player of the year, to fly out to right field for the final out of the game to earn his first save of the season in the 6-5 win.

Six different players recorded U-Mary’s six hits, only two of which came after the first inning. Liffrig walked three times and scored twice.

Matt Leer earned his second win of the season, allowing four hits and three runs while striking out five and walking one in five innings. Long and Bartlett each allowed one hit and one run in an inning of relief.

Pitching dominated game two of the twin bill. The Marauders got on the board first. Feldman led off the fourth inning with a triple and scored on a groundout to short by Liffrig.

In the sixth, U-Mary extended its lead to 3-0 when Liffrig followed a Feldman single with a two-run home run to left field. It was Liffrig’s second home run of the season.

Freshman Kyle Schroeder breezed through the first four innings for U-Mary and retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced, allowing just one walk during that stretch. Northern State broke through with two hits in the fifth inning but a double play ball short-circuited the inning for the Wolves.

Northern State used a two-out rally in the sixth to score a lone run, cutting the U-Mary lead to 3-1. In the seventh, U-Mary turned another double play to end the game.

Schroeder pitched a complete game to earn his first collegiate win. The Dickinson, ND, native allowed one run on five hits in seven innings while striking out two and walking one. Brock Pashen also had a strong game on the hill for NSU, striking out 12 Marauders while allowing eight hits, three walks and three runs while also pitching a complete game.

Feldman paced the Marauders with a 3-for-4 performance with a triple and two runs scored. Liffrig, 1-for-3 with the home run, drove in all three U-Mary runs. Shortstop and leadoff hitter Andy Leer was 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base.

The Marauders improve to 3-12 on the season and 2-0 in Northern Sun play. NSU falls to 2-6 and 0-2 in the Northern Sun.

The two teams play another sunrise set on Friday, March 21. The first pitch is set for 6 a.m.