Box Scores - Game 1, Game 2

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (SabreAthletics.com) – Emilie Jansen's walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning of a 7-7 tie sent the Marian University softball team home in jubilation as they earned a doubleheader split with Concordia University Wisconsin in a hotly contested Northern Athletics Conference series at Smith Fields this evening, April 3.

The Sabres had led by as much as 7-3 heading into the sixth inning, but the Falcons got one in the sixth and three in the seventh to tie the game. Then with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, it looked as if the Sabres were going to leave the winning run stranded at second, but a quick rally ensued.

Freshman Liz Schaller hit a routine grounder to second that wasn't handled and the inning continued. After Aubrey O'Brien walked to load the bases, Jansen sent everyone home with her fourth homerun of the season.

Marian improves to 9-11 overall, 4-2 in the NAC with the win. Meanwhile, Concordia Wisconsin moves to 11-11 (6-2 NAC).

In game one, a big three-run fourth inning paced the Falcons and they took a commanding 4-0 lead into the seventh. The Sabres then rallied, using an Emily Boehnlein one out homer followed by a promising rally that fell just short. Trailing 4-1 with two outs, Molly Sippel singled to the shortstop to load the bases. A wild pitch then allowed Schaller to score and moved the potential tying run into scoring position.

However, Nikki Ponticelli was called on strikes and the game ended as dramatic as the next one would finish.

Both teams got off to great starts offensively in game two as each traded three-run first innings. The Sabres then tallied a pair in the second, on Aubrey O'Brien's first homerun of the year, to take a 5-3 lead. That big hit knocked CUW's Danielle Burke, the reigning NAC Pitcher of the Week, out of the game.

The advantage would grow to 7-3 in the fifth inning on a Schaller sacrifice fly and an O'Brien run-scoring single. Although the game felt in hand, it was far from over.

The Falcons rallied in the sixth, getting a run on Jessica Liszka's RBI single to center. In the seventh, they struck again with three unearned runs on Cherise Waltz to tie the score at 7-7.

That set up the dramatic bottom half that saw the Sabres win on Jansen's blast to left-center field.

Waltz allowed just three earned runs in each contest and walked just two on the day. She improved to 7-8 on the season.

O'Brien finished 5-for-9 on the day with three RBIs and three runs scored while Jansen finished with three hits, four RBIs and two runs scored.

The Sabres will be back in action this Saturday, April 7, to take on Maranatha Baptist on the road. First pitch is slated for noon.