LEAD

GLENDALE, Wis. -- Despite double-header loss to Mount Mary, Maranatha tied their season high at the plate, recording six hits in game two. 

Bethany Searle, Grace Strauch, and Racquelle Melville contributed six of Maranatha's total eight hits on the day, with two apiece. Ashley Nerat scored the only run with the RBI credited to Searle. 

OVERVIEW

• Results
  • Game One: Maranatha 0-13 Mount Mary (5-innings)
  • Game Two: Maranatha 1-12 Mount Mary (5-innings)
• Venue: Maslowski Community Park
• Attendance: 78
• Records: MBU (0-26), MMU (9-20)

STORY 

GAME ONE
The Sabercats traveled to Glendale on Saturday to close out a long week with another double-header against Mount Mary. After having competed well against the Blue Angels just a few days before, Maranatha was eager to see what the games would look like. However, the Sabercats spirits seemed to quickly fade as Mount Mary came out crushing the ball in the first inning, earning seven runs off of seven hits. 

While Mount Mary continued to up their score through the next two innings, scoring three runs in both the second and the third, Maranatha struggled to get anything going at the plate. It wasn't until the top of the fourth that Maranatha finally connected with the ball, earning their only two hits of the game which came from Racquelle Melville and Bethany Searle. But the two Sabercats were stranded on base and the Sabercats eventually fell 0-13 after five innings. 

GAME TWO
Maranatha upped their play in the second game, seeming to come out with a bit more energy. Ashley Nerat started her team off early in the first with a single up the middle and was later brought home by Searle, giving their team a 1-0 lead. 

The Sabercats played clean defense over the next two innings to hold onto that lead. But the Blue Angels were finally able to produce some runs to take a 3-1 lead at the bottom of the third. 

Things seemed to fall apart for Maranatha's defense at the bottom of the fourth, as Mount Mary put nine runs to extend their lead to 12-1.

With one last opportunity for Maranatha to extend the game, things looked promising as the Sabercats put runners on both second and third base.  But a ground out to the Blue Angel's pitcher closed out the inning, leaving the two runs stranded on base and sealing the win for Mount Mary. 

Despite the loss, Maranatha put up one of their best hitting games. They tied their season high of six hits and kept their opponents under ten hits as well. 

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

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

STATS

• Last Time: Maranatha fell to Mount Mary 1-13 and 3-12 last Thursday.
• Series: Mount Mary now leads the all-time series against Maranatha 54-20

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 travel to Dubuque, Iowa to face Clarke in a double-header on Tuesday, April 23, at 5 p.m. & 7 p.m. Details at mbusabercats.com/schedule.