Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

BISMARCK, N.D. – A day after dropping a pair of Northern Sun conference games to the University of Mary at home, the Northern State Wolves took the series on the road on Wednesday, salvaging a non-conference split with the Marauders in Bismarck.  

Each team picked up a different-spectrum win, as U-Mary took a quick 10-1 five-inning victory in the opener while the Wolves battled out a 5-4 eight-inning win in the series finale.

The Wolves moved to 9-21 overall and remain 2-8 in NSIC play.  U-Mary, which had won seven of eight heading into the day, is now 20-13 overall and 5-5 in league action.

Leading just 2-1 after the first three innings, the Marauders used back-to-back big innings in the fourth and fifth innings – scoring four runs in each stanza – to end the game early.  Vanessa Baretto finished out the game with a one-out, two-run triple that pushed the U-Mary advantage past the eight-run mercy rule.

The Wolves scored their lone run in the third inning.  Freshman Sarah L'Allier drew a lead-off walk and came around to score on a Rachel South ground ball to the left side of the infield.

South, Brittany Huback, Whitney Luhring and Lindsey Hubler each collected a hit apiece for the Wolves, as U-Mary's Ashley Watson gave up just one run on those four hits with a walk and a strikeout and working around two Marauder defensive miscues.

South took the loss on the mound for the Wolves in her first pitching appearance of the season.  The junior went three and a third innings, allowing six runs on nine hits.

The Marauders were unable to shake a persistent Wolves squad in Game 2.  Each time U-Mary would take a slim lead, the Wolves would answer with a tying run in their next at bat.  NSU finally pushed two runs across in the bottom of the eighth to break a 3-3 tie.

That insurance fifth run quickly turned into the winning run after the Marauders led off their half of the inning with a double and a single to cut the NSU lead to one.  Both hits came from the heart of the Marauder line-up, as their three, four and five hitters went a combined 7-for-12 from the plate.

Freshman Jordan Florey extinguished the Marauder uprising as quickly as it started, however, retiring the next three batters, to preserve her third win of the season.  Florey went all eight innings for the Wolves, allowing four runs on 11 hits and a pair of strikeouts.

U-Mary's Emily Brunskill, who earned the win in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader, was tagged with Wednesday's loss, giving up three runs on three hits and a pair of walks.

Three different Wolves finished with two hits apiece, including Hubler, who went 2-for-4 and drove in three of the Wolves' four runs.  Sophomore Kelsey Robling was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.

NSU is slated to return home for a weekend homestand, hosting Minnesota Crookston and MSU Moorhead on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.  First pitch is scheduled for noon both days.  Stay tuned to www.nsuwolvesathletics.com for all the latest schedule updates.