Mount Marty Rallies in Fifth, Edges Minnesota-Crookston 2-1
Sioux Center, IA. – The Mount Marty Lancers capitalized on defensive miscues in the fifth inning to secure a 2-1 victoryover Minnesota-Crookston in a hard-fought game. McKenzie Gray was dominant in the circle, throwing a complete-game shutout while racking up seven strikeouts.
Game Summary
- Minnesota-Crookston Strikes First: In the second inning, the Golden Eagles took advantage of a throwing error, allowing M. Yandle to steal third and score, putting Minnesota-Crookston ahead 1-0.
- Lancers Respond in the Fifth:
- Gray Slams the Door: Despite allowing seven hits, McKenzie Gray (2-0) battled through pressure, stranding multiple runners and throwing 121 pitches to secure the complete-game victory.
Key Performers
Mount Marty:
Minnesota-Crookston:
- M. Yandle: 1-for-2, Run Scored, SB
- C. Doering: 1-for-4, Double
Pitching Breakdown
- Mount Marty's McKenzie Gray (W, 2-0): 7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 7 K
- Minnesota-Crookston's Dombrowski (L, 1-1): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 5 K
Final Thoughts
- Mount Marty took advantage of defensive mistakes, scoring both runs unearned.
- Gray continues to shine, showing resilience in another strong outing.
- The Lancers improve to 2-3 and look to build momentum heading into their next matchup.
Game Two
Mount Marty Jumps Out Early, Holds Off Dakota State for 7-4 Victory
Sioux Center, IA – The Mount Marty Lancers exploded for six runs in the first two innings and held off a late push from Dakota State to earn a 7-4 win on the road. Alyssa Sosky led the offense, while Jacey Hayen and McKenzie Graycombined to secure the victory in the circle.
Game Summary
- Fast Start for the Lancers:
- First inning: Kayleen Jacinto's sacrifice fly, a Janeah Castro RBI single, and an error by Dakota State's defense led to three quick runs for Mount Marty.
- Second inning: The Lancers kept the momentum, scoring three more runs behind an RBI single from Sosky, another RBI from Jacinto, and a sacrifice fly from Castro, pushing the lead to 6-1.
- Adding Insurance: In the fourth inning, Jacinto drove in her third RBI of the game, grounding out but bringing home Alyssa Sosky for a 7-1 lead.
- Dakota State Rallies Late:
- The Trojans cut into the deficit with an RBI double from Gabrielle Ortega-Alves in the fifth and a two-run double from Torrence Clelland in the sixth, making it 7-4.
- McKenzie Gray entered in relief, shutting down Dakota State over the final 1.2 innings to seal the win.
Key Performers
Mount Marty:
- Alyssa Sosky: 3-for-3, 3 Runs, RBI, 2 SB
- Kayleen Jacinto: 1-for-3, 3 RBI, Sac Fly
- Janeah Castro: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, Sac Fly
- Jacey Hayen (W, 1-1): 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 5 K
- McKenzie Gray (SV): 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Dakota State:
- Torrence Clelland: 1-for-1, 2B, 2 RBI
- Gabrielle Ortega-Alves: 1-for-2, 2B, RBI, BB
- Mason Usselman (L, 1-2): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER)
Pitching Breakdown
- Mount Marty:
- Dakota State:
- Mason Usselman (L, 1-2): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER)
- Maycee Bricker: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB
- Analicia Burgos: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 2 K
Final Thoughts
- Mount Marty's aggressive offense in the first two innings proved to be the difference, as they capitalized on timely hitting and defensive miscues by Dakota State.
- Sosky continued to be a spark at the top of the lineup, while Jacinto and Castro delivered key RBIs.
- Gray remained a reliable closer, finishing off another strong performance on the mound.
- Mount Marty evens its record at 3-3 and looks ahead to the next challenge.
Game Three
Mount Marty Falls in Extra Innings to Dickinson State, 4-3
Sioux Center, IA – The Mount Marty softball team suffered a tough extra-inning loss to Dickinson State on Saturday, falling 4-3 in nine innings. The Lancers got off to a hot start but couldn't hold off a late push by the Blue Hawks.
Early Lead for Mount Marty
The Lancers struck early in the first inning as Olivia Valdez delivered a clutch two-run single to center, scoring Janeah Castro and Adrian Schoby for a quick 2-0 advantage. Valdez came through again in the third with an RBI double to extend the lead to 3-0.
Dickinson State Rallies Late
The Blue Hawks chipped away at the deficit, scoring a run in the fourth on an RBI single by Jersi Morse. They added another in the sixth when Bailey Hansen lined an RBI single down the right field line, cutting Mount Marty's lead to 3-2.
In the seventh, Brooke Lijewski came up with a game-tying RBI single, sending the contest into extra innings. The Lancers were unable to push across a run late, and in the bottom of the ninth, Celina Wilharm delivered the walk-off hit, scoring Jai Maddox-Hernandez for the 4-3 Dickinson State win.
Lancer Standouts
Pitching Performance
McKenzie Gray (L, 2-2) put in a strong effort, going 8.0 innings with 9 strikeouts while allowing three earned runs. Makayla Graunke came in for relief in the ninth but couldn't escape the jam.
Game Four
Mount Marty Struggles Against Valley City State in 11-3 Loss
Sioux Center,IA – Mount Marty couldn't overcome an early offensive explosion by Valley City State, falling 11-3 in seven innings on Sunday. The Vikings came out swinging, scoring five runs in the first inning and never looked back.
Early Deficit Hurts Lancers
Valley City State's Logan Gronberg started the scoring with a two-run homer in the first, followed by Madison Hazelton's RBI double and a two-run single by Makenzee Stone to put the Lancers in a quick 5-0 hole.
Mount Marty responded in the bottom of the inning when Kayleen Jacinto grounded out to shortstop, allowing Alyssa Sosky to score and cut the deficit to 5-1.
Mount Marty showed some fight in the fifth, with Jacinto picking up another RBI on a groundout to short, followed by Janeah Castro's solo home run to make it 10-3. However, the Vikings capped the scoring in the seventh with an RBI double from Kylee Banerd to extend their lead.
Lancer Standouts
