FOND DU LAC, Wis. - Marian University softball (20-10, 8-6 NACC) split with Alverno in a NACC doubleheader winning the opener 12-2 in five innings before falling 3-1 in the night cap.

The Sabre bats were patient in the opener drawing six walks and MU took advantage of three errors to mercy-rule the Inferno in the opener.

Alverno opened the game with a run in the top of the first before Marian answered with an eight-run bottom half.  A wild pitch brought in the first Sabre run before senior Sara Terrian singled to put the score at 2-1.  Seniors Charlotte Pegram and Tiffani Castillo would draw back-to-back bases loaded walks to bring in another pair of runs, while sophomore Rachel Soch was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded as well.  In sophomore Lindsey Strainis' second at bat of the inning, she would single to right center to drive in a pair and the inning closed with Strainis getting caught in a first-and-third run down long enough for freshman Ally Fox to score.

The Sabre offense was back at it in the bottom of the third with a two RBI triple from freshman Gianna Esposito followed by an error bringing in another run to put the score at 11-1.  Alverno responded with a run in the top half of the fourth but a two out RBI single from freshman Maygen Marcell put the Sabres up 12-2 and closed out the game.

Fox and Strainis each had multi-hit games with Fox going 2-3 with three runs scored and Strainis finishing 2-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in.

Senior Shannon Huray (11-6) went 4.0 innings scattering four hits and striking out three.

The Inferno jumped ahead to start game two scoring three runs in the first two innings for the early lead.  Freshman Danielle Runyon would come around to score off of an error in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 3-1 but the Sabre bats struggled to string any hits falling 3-1 in game two.

Fox was the lone Sabre to record a multi-hit game in the loss going 2-3.  Freshman Paige Rauhut (8-4) took the tough-luck complete game loss allowing six hits in her 7.0 innings of work.

Marian hits the road tomorrow, Tuesday, April 18, for a 3 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at Ripon.

--FightBlueFight--