LISLE, Ill. - Marian University softball (21-13, 8-8 NACC) was swept by Benedictine in a NACC doubleheader falling 6-0 in the opener and 4-3 in nine innings in game two.

The Eagles jumped on the Sabres early in game one scoring five runs in the bottom of the first, four of which were unearned.  Benedictine would add a run in the third to extend their lead and the Sabre bats had no answer dropping the opener.

Sophomore Lindsey Strainis was the lone Sabre with multiple hits in game one going 2-3, while freshman Paige Michaelson closed out the final 3.0 innings shutting out Benedictine and only allowing three hits.

The second game proved to be another pitching duel that the Sabres ended up on the wrong end of in extra innings.  The two teams would go scoreless in the first three innings with Marian unable to score on a bases loaded situation with one out in the second.  The Eagles opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the fourth before Marian responded in the next half inning.  Freshman Ally Fox would single and steal second before being driven in by senior Nicole LaBeck for the first run of the day.

Both offenses would go quiet with the two squads only combining for three hits from the sixth inning to the eighth inning.  The Sabre bats then came alive in the top of the ninth with a sacrifice bunt from senior Charlotte Pegram setting up a two-out two RBI double from Fox that scored sophomore Olivia Hartley and senior Tiffani Castillo to give MU a 3-1 lead.

The Eagles responded in the bottom half of the inning, however, using four hits and a Sabre error to plate three runs for the walk off win.

Freshman Paige Rauhut (8-5) took the tough-luck loss after only allowing seven hits through the first eight innings.  Fox and LaBeck each had multi-hit games with the duo driving in all three of Marian's runs.  At the bottom of the lineup, Hartley and Pegram also had multi-hit games in the loss.

Marian closes out the weekend with a noon NACC doubleheader at Aurora tomorrow, Sunday, April 23.

--FightBlueFight--