MORRIS, Minn. – Minnesota Morris (6-22, 4-4 UMAC) won their fourth straight game Tuesday, sweeping Martin Luther (6-15, 3-7 UMAC) with two five inning victories. Morris won 11-1 in game one before taking the finale 13-5. The wins help the Cougars improve to .500 in UMAC play.
The Cougars outhit the Knights 12-4 in the first game of the doubleheader. Five hits came in the first inning as Morris scored five times in the opening frame.
Bret Hulett made it 2-0 with a double to left field.
Erin Kvam would drive in Hulett to make it 3-0. The final two runs of the inning scored on a single from the bat of
Paige Larson.
The Knights got on the board in the second with an unearned run after a wild pitch. Morris countered in the third with three runs.
Elli Stevenson, Larson and
Gina Downie all drove in runs in the third. Minnesota Morris would score in the fourth and fifth innings as well to earn the ten run win.
Eight of the nine Cougar starters had at least a hit to go along with an RBI or run scored. Hulett earned the win in the circle, pitching four innings and allowing just four hits.
In game two the Cougars would again score in the top of the first and again it was Hulett who put them on top. Her sac fly scored Downie to give UMM a 1-0 lead. Martin Luther would take a lead with two runs in the bottom of the first. Morris quickly tied it in the bottom of the inning when Stevenson doubled in Kvam.
In the third the Cougars scored a trio of unearned runs to retake the lead. After a six run top of the fourth Morris never let the Knights back in the ballgame. The fourth inning scoring started with a two run triple off the bat of Downie. Mahoney drove her in with a triple of her own. Three more runs scored, all unearned before the inning ended. The Knights did get two runs back in the bottom of the inning but still trailed 11-4 as the game headed to the fifth.
Hulett and
Magen Knickerbocker drove in runs in the fifth as Morris took their second nine run lead of the game.
Maegan Anderson pitched the final two innings to help the Cougars earn the sweep. Stevenson got the win by pitching three innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs.
This weekend the Cougars host North Central on Saturday as the team looks to go above .500 in the UMAC.
