BISMARCK, N.D. – The Concordia-St. Paul softball team (16-31, 10-14 NSIC) fell short against the University of Mary (22-27, 11-12 NSIC) as the Marauders swept the Golden Bears on Sunday afternoon. U-Mary claimed game one 10-1 in five innings and game two 17-13.
 
U-Mary 10, Concordia-St. Paul 1 (5 inn.)
The Marauders jumped on the Golden Bears early with 10 runs in the first two innings as they put the game out of reach quickly. Concordia got a run back in the fourth but it wasn't enough to avoid the run-rule as U-Mary closed it out in five innings.
 
After Concordia put two runners on in the first but failed to score, it appeared the Marauders were headed for a harmless inning of their own as the first two hitters were retired by Concordia starter Linzy Heim. That wouldn't last though as Taylor Mendez put U-Mary on the board with a solo homer, Demaree Rodriguez singled,  Julissa Perales brought her in with a double and Colleen Crutchfield followed with a two-run shot to quickly make it 4-0.
 
The Marauders picked up right where they left off as they came to the plate in the second inning. Alana Norman drove an RBI double and Mendez brought home another with a single before Perales picked up the big hit with a three-run homer to left to make it 9-0. Amber Gamboa added an RBI groundout to extend the lead to 10-0 through two innings.
 
Amber Galloway came on for the Golden Bears in relief in the third and slowed down the attack as she threw two shutout innings, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out one.
 
The damage was already done, though, as U-Mary pitcher Nena Dudley held the Concordia offense to one run on five hits as she walked three and struck out six in the five-inning complete game win.
 
Concordia's lone run came in the fifth as Lizzy Swenson hit a one-out double before Emily Shinn brought her in with a double of her own one batter later.
 
The Golden Bears' three other hits came in the form of singles off the bats of Teona Zepeda, Nicole Thompson and Sarah Kivisto.
 
U-Mary 17, Concordia-St. Paul 13
The runs came fast and furious for both teams in the second game as the two teams combined for 30 runs on 33 hits. Concordia held a seven run lead early but saw it disappear as U-Mary pulled away for the win.
 
Taylor Mendez opened the scoring with her second home run of the day in the bottom of the first but Concordia quickly turned the momentum in their favor with five runs in the top of the second to take the lead. Nicole Thompson tied it with an RBI single and Sarah Kivisto scored on a miscue on a pickoff attempt to give CU the lead before Haley Schanks launched a three-run blast to bring Concordia to five.
 
The Marauders answered with two in the bottom of the inning but the Golden Bears tacked on five more runs in the third to extend their lead to 10-3. Sarah Kivisto brought home the first two runs of the inning with an RBI single before Thompson and Jamie Fleischhacker chipped in run-scoring singles of their own later in the inning. Thompson eventually scored on a passed ball before U-Mary could end the rally.
 
The next 11 runs over the next inning and a half would go in favor of the Marauders as they built a 14-10 advantage through four innings. Crutchfield and Amber Gamboa each delivered run scoring hits in the third to cut the deficit to 10-6 before U-Mary put up an eight-spot in the fourth to take the lead. The Marauders strung together six hits along with three Concordia errors in the inning as the big blow came in the form of a three-run homer from Gamboa. Norman and Rodriguez each contributed run-scoring doubles in the inning as well.
 
Concordia closed the gap to 14-12 in the fifth as Teona Zepeda drove an RBI single and Fleischhacker hit a sacrifice fly, but Mendez added three more for the Marauders in the bottom of the inning with her third homer of the day and second of the game. The Golden Bears got one back in the sixth as Emily Shinn hit a double and came in on a double to make cut it to 17-13, but that would be all the closer they would get.
 
CU managed 15 hits in the game, led by three off the bat of Haley Schanks and Sarah Kivisto, as eight of their nine starters picked up hits and came around to score. Zepeda, Thompson and Shinn all had two hits as well.
 
Stephanie Kappes (10-18) took the loss in the circle for the Golden Bears as she worked the first four innings before Amber Galloway came in and worked the final two.
 
MeLanie Rodriguez got the win in relief for the Marauders as she worked 3.1 innings after starter Nena Dudley was pulled in the second inning.
 
Taylor Mendez once again led U-Mary by going 3-3 with two homers, a triple and four runs scored while driving in four in the game while Amber Gamboa went 4-4 with a homer and six RBI as well.
 
Concordia remains on the road this Wednesday as they take on Sioux Falls. The games are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.