LEAD

GLENDALE, Wis. -- Two rough innings decided both games in the Maranatha/Mount Mary double header.  The Blue Angels swept the Sabercats with 11-1 and 15-2 wins.

Racquelle Melville and Grace Strauch led Maranatha at the bat, both with two hits apiece and each earning a double. Melville, Brooke Sharpe, and Kaili Swaffer each recorded an RBI on the day. 

OVERVIEW

• Results
  • Game One: Maranatha 1-11 Mount Mary (5-innings)
  • Game Two: Maranatha 2-15 Mount Mary (5-innings)
• Venue: Maslowski Community Park
• Attendance: -
• Records: MBU (0-18), LU (4-17)

STORY 

Game 1

The first inning flew by as both teams quickly took care of business defensively, not letting more than four batters come up to the plate. Racquelle Melville got things started at the bat for Maranatha, being the first Sabercat to make it on base with a single hit hard to left field. But the side was retired shortly after with three outs immediately following. 

The bottom of the second was one the Sabercats wish they had back. An defensive error off the lead-off hit sent things spiraling downhill. The Blue Angels scored one run after another, setting the score 11-0 before Maranatha had the chance to head back to bat. 

From that point on, Maranatha's defense was clean cut as they allowed Mount Mary no additional runs.

Back-to-back doubles from Grace Strauch and Racquelle Melville got things going for the Sabercats, respectively, early in the fourth inning. This put Maranatha on the board and gave the team a glimmer of hope. 

But clean defense from the Blue Angels kept Maranatha with just the solo run, ending the game 11-1 after five innings. 

Game 2 

Things got off to a decent start in game two, but defensive error that would have given Mount Mary their third out instead opened the door for them to earn six more runs before the end of the first inning. The Blue Angels scored all 15 of their runs throughout the first two innings. 

Once again, Maranatha was not able to get on the board until the top of the fourth. Bethany Searle started the inning off with a single hit up the right field line. She quickly moved into scoring position off of a sacrifice bunt from Lindsay Mikkelson, before being brought home off a double from Kaili Swaffer. 

Brooke Sharpe brought Swaffer home from second with a single hit up over the infield, earning her first career hit and giving her team a crooked number for the second time this season. 

The Sabercats went on to fall 2-15 in five-innings. They are looking forward to hosting Clarke University this upcoming Monday in their home-opener, where they hope to erase the zero from their record by putting a win on the board. 

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Maranatha Lineup Game 1 - Melville (C), Searle (P), Strauch (SS), Malmanger (2B), Nerat (1B), Mullikin (3B), Mikkelson (LF), Swaffer (CF), Sharpe (RF)

Maranatha Lineup Game 2 - Nerat (C), McIntyre (P), Strauch (SS), Malmanger (2B), Melville (1B), Searle (3B), Mikkelson (LF), Swaffer (CF), Mullikin (RF)

STATS

• Last Time: Maranatha fell to Mount Mary 1-9 and 2-7 on April 28, 2023
• Series: Mount Mary now leads the all-time series against Maranatha 50-20

OPPONENTS

• Mount Mary competes in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NCAA Dlll)
• Mount Mary also competes in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference
• Mount Mary finished the 2023 season with a record of 10-25

NEXT

The Sabercats return to Watertown, Wisconsin for their home opener against Clarke University on Monday, April 15, at 5 p.m. & 7 p.m. Details at mbusabercats.com/schedule.