MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. (SabreAthletics.com) – The Marian University softball team is off to a 2-0 start in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play following a doubleheader sweep over host Concordia University Chicago by scores of 6-2 and 5-2 at Melas Park, this afternoon, March 30.

Following a slow start to the season, the offense came to life with 11 runs on 23 combined hits to dispatch the Cougars. Emily Gorges led the way with four hits in the sweep, including a home run in game one to get the Sabres (5-11, 2-0 NACC) off to a flying start. Charlotte Pegram and Sara Terrian combined for five hits and six RBIs on the day with Terrian responsible for three hits and four RBIs.

In the circle, Gorges registered the win in game one with a complete game, allowing two runs, while scattering seven hits to the Cougars (4-8, 1-3 NACC). In game two, she pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn her first save of the season, rewarding Heather Dorn with her third victory of the season after six solid innings.

"It was a great effort all around," Head Coach Ashley Steltenpohl said. "We did the little things right. Pitching was solid and we were aggressive at the plate. Our hitters really got after it and it resulted in some clutch hitting."

The pitching staff received a huge boost from its defense as the Sabres put together flawless efforts in the field. With 24 errors through the team's first 14 games, zero errors in 14 innings on Sunday was a welcomed sight.

"We were able to make the plays we needed to make," said Steltenpohl, who is in her fourth season with the program. "It takes a lot of pressure off our pitching staff and they performed better because of it."

In game one, Gorges smacked a second-inning solo homer to right field to break a scoreless tie. The Cougars tied it up in the bottom of the second on Allie Bochat's RBI double that scored Emilia Vowell, but the Sabres squashed any further damage by throwing out Bochat at third trying to stretch it into a triple.

Marian broke the game open in the top of the fifth when Pegram started the scoring with a run-scoring single to right scoring Nikki Jakel. Terrian followed with an RBI single of her own followed by an RBI groundout by Gorges to put the Sabres up 4-1.

"We got to the top of our lineup for the third time and was able to put together some clutch hits," Steltenpohl said.

In the sixth, the Sabres received some insurance thanks to RBIs by Pegram and Terrian to take a commanding 6-1 advantage. Gorges allowed a two-out RBI single to Michelle Alexander in the seventh, but finished the job one batter later to earn the win.

In game two, it was the Concordia Chicago offense that took an early advantage as Johnson singled to center field to drive in Owens in the bottom of the third inning.

Marian's Rachel Andres would erase that deficit and give the Sabres the lead in the fourth with a two-run single to left, scoring Lydia Cloud and Gorges.

"Gabby [D'Oronzo] displayed some nice situational hitting to move two runners in scoring position and Rachel lined one to the outfield to drive them both in," Steltenpohl said. "That got us back on track defensively and we were able to pull out the win from there."

Terrian and Cloud would add some much-needed insurance in the fifth to give the Sabres a 4-1 lead. Terrian drove in Brie Hechimovich in the sixth to make it 5-1, giving the Sabres five unanswered runs with a chance to sweep their first NACC series of the year.

Leading 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Gorges, who had served as the designated player, relieved Dorn in the seventh and sat the Cougars down in order to earn the save.

"Heather was phenomenal," Steltenpohl commended of her No. 2 pitcher. "Her pitching style puts pressure on the defense to make plays and they backed her up with a great effort to get the job done. It was another good effort all around."

The Sabres will look to continue its momentum tomorrow, March 31, as they take on Dominican University in a doubleheader at the Ballpark in Rosemont, home of the Chicago Bandits. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.