Marian's Olivia Stunkel and Jaylah Guilliam Combine For No-Hitter in Game One Against Bethel

INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian softball team eclipsed the 20-win threshold on Tuesday afternoon as they continued their season-long 14-game homestand, sweeping Bethel University on their home diamond behind a combined no-hitter and come-from-behind victory. Marian's pair of wins improves the team to 21-3 overall on the season, while jumping to 10-2 in Crossroads League play.

Marian's pitching dominated the first game of the twin bill against the Pilots, as Olivia Stunkel and Jaylah Guilliam pitched their best games of the season. Stunkel started out the first inning on the wrong end of a 3-2 count as she walked lead-off hitter Alyssa Forys, but rebounded quickly to strikeout the side. The Knights offense rode their pitcher's momentum at the plate in the bottom of the first, with a lead-off triple by Savannah Harweger charging the offense. Brooke Knox drove in Harweger with an RBI error on a sacrifice fly attempt, and was followed to second base with Abby Madere's RBI double. Sierra Norman capped the first inning scoring with a two-run home run, capping a four-run frame.

The 4-0 lead more than did Bethel in, as the Pilots were unable to keep up with Stunkel's pitching. The junior struckout the side to bring her 'K' total to six for the game, and in the home half of the second the Knights added six more to the board, scoring all six runs with two outs. Knox, Madere, and Norman loaded the bases on a pair of hits and walk, setting up Abbey Hofmann who delivered a three RBI double. Lily Wendt followed up with an RBI single to score the team's eighth run, and following Grace Meyer's base hit, RBI singles from Hayley Greene and Jenna Minnix pushed Marian's lead to 10.

Stunkel finished her outing with a perfect third inning, striking out the side for the third time in the game, getting a pair of victims to go down swinging. Marian would add another run to their lead as Brenna Fink recorded an RBI groundout, and in the fourth inning they called on Jaylah Guilliam in the circle, who kept the strikeout train going with a first-batter punchout. Marian's defense was utilized for the first time with one out in the fourth as Brooke Knox threw out a ground ball out, while Jenna Minnix made a diving catch in center field to protect the no-hitter.

Marian made the game a 12-0 contest in the home half of the fourth on Mackenzie Dalton's RBI triple, and in the top of the fifth the no-hit bid was completed, as Guilliam opened the final inning with a strikeout. The senior then entrusted her defense two more times, as Minnix made a play in center field and Anna Pritchett ended the game with a catch in left, capping the run-rule no-hitter.

The no-hitter is the first for Marian since 2022, when Sydney Wilson threw a five-inning no-hitter against Judson University. Stunkel earned the win for Marian in the no-hitter, leading the charge with nine strikeouts in three innings, facing 10 batters. Guilliam tossed two strikeouts in her two innings, facing seven batters total as she closed out the team's third no-hitter since 2019. The 10 consecutive strikeouts thrown by Stunkel and Guilliam set a school record for consecutive outs via strikeout.

At the plate, Marian had 15 hits in the win, with Norman, Madere, and Meyer each putting up a pair. Hofmann led the team in RBI with three in the game, and Norman scored a team-best three runs. The Knights had 11 different players record a hit in the win.

Marian would go on to win game two against Bethel, taking the contest 8-3. The Knights came from behind in the win, erasing a 3-0 deficit in the bottom of the fifth inning with four runs, while adding four more in the bottom of the sixth. Sierra Norman hit a three RBI double in the sixth to highlight the win, while Grace Meyer had a pair of hits that sparked a rally in both the fifth and sixth innings. Macy Coan earned the win to improve to 4-1 on the season, and Olivia Stunkel came on in relief, posting a five-out save to cap the win.

Marian hosts Indiana Tech on March 27 at 3:00 p.m.