ABERDEEN, S.D. – Rallying from an early deficit behind four hits from
Drew Feuerbach, the University of Mary damaged the playoff chances for Northern State University when the Marauders defeated the Wolves 9-5 in the opening game of the Northern Sun doubleheader. The Wolves rebounded to capture the nightcap 23-0.
The fifth U-Mary player to register at least four hits in a game this season, Feuerbach was 4-for-4 with three runs batted in and a run scored. The junior right fielder also stole a base.
Currently in ninth place in the NSIC and chasing the eighth and final slot for the conference postseason tournament, the homestanding Wolves (18-21, 11-15 overall) scored four times in the second to grab an early lead.
Two innings later, the Marauders (8-37, 6-25) rallied to tie the game 4-4 with four runs of their own in the fourth.
Jason Shaul kicked off the rally with a double and took third on a
Will Pettener hit. Both players scored on a Wolves defensive miscue on a ball hit to third base by
Connor Doll. Feuerbach grounded a single through the right side to plate Doll and came around to score the tying run on
Mason Schiff's base hit to right field.
Aggressive baserunning gave the Marauders the lead in the sixth. Pettener led off the inning with a single and was replaced by pinch runner
Ethan Meide. A one out single by Feuerbach put runners on the corners and the Marauders turned aggressive, pulling off the double steal to perfection. Feuerbach took off successfully for second, drawing a throw from the catcher. With perfect timing, Meide sprinted for home and beat a wild throw to break the tie.
The Marauders put the game away in the seventh, scoring another four runs. With two outs, Shaul singled home a run, Doll doubled home another, and Feuerbach capped the outburst with a 2-run single to left.
Other than the second inning,
Zach Steckler kept a potent Wolves lineup in check. He kept Northern State off the board in five of the seven innings. Picking up his first win of the season, Steckler allowed just six hits and a walk in his complete game performance. He finished with two strikeouts.
Including Feuerbach, four Marauders had multiple hits. Shaul went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a double and an RBI. Both
Andrew Beyer and Pettener finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Additionally Doll doubled, scored twice and drone in two runs.
Kolin Kubitz homered, scored twice and drove home three runs to lead the Wolves.
Game two was all about the home team. Northern State crossed the plate nine times in the first inning, three in both the second and third, and seven in the fourth before managing just one in the fifth. NSU outhit U-Mary 20-3.
The Marauders close out the 2016 season with four games at NSIC-leading University of Minnesota Duluth on Friday and Saturday, May 6-7.
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