Trailing 7-0 the top of the fifth inning of Game 1, Marion sent seven batters to the plate.

Lauren Helmer and Austin Percell walked with one out and Morgan Cady and Erica Geis followed with run-scoring singles.

But Hoisington pitcher Heather Hitschmann notched a groundout and a pop-up to escape the jam. The Warriors had trouble advancing runners the rest of the evening.

“Our defense played very well,” coach Sandy Black said. “The girls kept their heads up and kept on battling until the end.”

One of the defensive highlights came in the third inning, when Hoisington’s cleanup hitter lifted a high fly into center field. Cardinal shortstop Kyra Horesky tagged up at third base. But Geis made the catch, then fired home in time to record the inning-ending put-out.

Hitschmann finished the game with seven strikeouts, and added one more in the second game.

Collegiate—Marion split a home doubleheader last Tuesday with the Spartans, coming from behind to win the first game, 7-6, before taking a 22-12 beating in the second game.

In Game 1, the Warriors rallied behind a six-strikeout game from Sonja Steinborn to score the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

In the top of the sixth, Collegiate plated three runs for a 6-5 lead.

Marion rallied to tie the game in the home half of the frame, and Steinborn threw only 10 pitches to retire Collegiate in order in the top of the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, Erica Geis singled and stole second. Lauren Helmer followed with a walk and Austin Percell drove in the winning run when the ball she hit caromed off the second baseman’s glove.

Collegiate retaliated in the second game, scoring 13 runs in the first two innings.

Marion mounted a rally in the bottom of the fourth that began with Percell reaching base to lead off the inning. Tacy Taylor pushed her to second with a sacrifice bunt, and Steinborn walked.

Both runners advanced on a ground out to third, and both scored on a single by Lana Carroll. Carroll advanced on a wild pitch, and Cady brought her home with a single.

Kari Tajchman reached on an error, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on an error that put Geis on first. Geis also came around to score, making it 14-11 after four innings.

Percell led off the Marion fifth with a single, a stolen base and another run scored. But Collegiate sealed the game with three runs in the sixth and five more in the seventh.

Coming—Marion was scheduled to play at Lyons on Tuesday. On Friday, the squad visits Sterling, then travels to Nickerson on Monday before hosting Hesston on Tuesday.

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