TUCSON, Ariz. (SabreAthletics.com) – Five errors plagued the Marian University baseball teamrnoon as St. Mary's University used five unearned runs en route to a 9-4 victory on a cold and windy day at the Tucson Invitational Games inside the Kino Sports Complex, this afternoon, March 9.

The difference in the game proved to be defensive miscues as St. Mary's jumped out to a 9-1 lead, while scoring just four earned runs. The Sabres pushed across three runs in the seventh and eighth to cut the deficit, but couldn't produce a big enough rally to get back into the game. SMU hurler Steph Scatassa threw a gem, while Marian starter Jeff Thomas suffered the hard-fought defeat.

St. Mary's improved to 7-2 with their seventh straight win on the trip, while Marian dropped to 2-1.

Thomas put in four and two-thirds innings of solid work, but had little to show for it as errors led to his demise. The senior allowed six runs, but just one of them earned on 10 hits. He escaped a first inning jam by allowing just one run, but couldn't withstand two errors that lead to three unearned runs in the second.

Two more unearned tallies went against him in the fifth before he was relieved with two outs. Junior left hander Brandon Winfield came on with runners on the corners and two outs and proceeded to pick off the runner at first to end the inning.

The Marian offense couldn't build any momentum after a first inning run in which senior Will Martin tripled to left prior to a Ty Gellinger RBI groundout to tie the game at that point.

The right hander Scatassa baffled Marian hitters, holding them to just a run on five hits over six innings.

When he was relieved in the seventh, it was a welcomed sight. The Sabres scored twice off lefty Sam Nord after Martin looped a liner into right field that drove in both Matt Bromley and Chase Eagan.

In the eighth, the Sabres pushed another run across when Ryan Blise singled home Garrett Dorn to cut the deficit to 9-4. Later on the bases would be loaded with two outs, but Eagan was unable to prolong the inning as Nord got him to groundout to second base.

Junior Chad Langley once again had a stellar game at the plate, going 3-for-5 to lead the Sabres offensively. Martin and Bromley each recorded two hits as well.

For St. Mary's, Drew Denning was 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI, while Willie Doll, Kyle Servais and Mike Feriancek all recorded two hits apiece.

The Sabres will take on Cornell (Iowa) in a 4:30 p.m. central time start tomorrow, March 10.