NEW ULM, Minn. - Minnesota Morris concluded the conference portion of their schedule Sunday afternoon and earned a split with Martin Luther in UMAC softball action.
Game 1: UMM 8, MLC 5 (10 innings)
Minnesota Morris fell behind 3-0 early, but scored five unanswered runs over the third and fourth innings to take the lead.
Lacey Sullivan laced a double down the left field in the third to plate two. In the fourth, UMM scored three runs after the first two batters were retired.
Paige Dahlberg and
Becca Holland singled. Dahlberg would tie the game on an error.
Megan Knickerbocker singled through the left side to score Holland then
Emily Nordquist followed with a single to center to give UMM a 5-3 lead. Martin Luther would score single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game at 5. Neither team scored in the seventh and the game would go to extra innings. The game would remain tied until the 10th when the Cougars tallied three runs. Knickerbocker was placed on second to start the inning. After a wild pitch advanced her to third, Nordquist's sacrifice fly to center scored Knickerbocker for the go-ahead run. Sullivan and
Kallie Wycoff followed with a single and double, respectively.
Lydia Mann was hit by a pitch to load the bases then
Clare Hamer was also hit by a pitch to get a hard-earned RBI. Dahlberg singled to plate Sullivan to give the Cougars the 8-5 edge. Mann was masterful in the circle in relief. She came on in the sixth to stop a Martin Luther scoring chance. She would keep the Knights scoreless and hitless over the final four innings to record the win. Sullivan went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI in the opener. Knickerbocker, Nordquist, Wycoff, and Dahlberg all had two hits a piece.
Game 2: MLC 15, UMM 5
Martin Luther bounced back to claim a 10-run win in the second game. Wycoff went 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Sullivan and Mann added doubles.
Minnesota Morris (11-27, 5-11 in UMAC) ends the season with a non-conference doubleheader Tuesday at Concordia-Moorhead. They are eliminated from UMACÂ postseason contention.
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