No. 8 Marian Takes Outright Crossroads League Championship With Senior Day Sweep of Taylor

INDIANAPOLIS - Tied for the Crossroads League lead in the standings entering Saturday, the Marian softball team earned two wins over Taylor and got the help needed from Huntington in an upset of Indiana Wesleyan, pushing the Knights to a CL Regular Championship Title. Marian is now 41-9 overall on the season, ending the regular season with a 29-7 overall record in the CL.

Marian's championship is their eighth title in 10 years and nine seasons of softball, while the Knights have won three championships in four years. 

Game 1 | Marian 6-2 Taylor

The Knights started off the game strong with Abby Madere doubling into right center in the home half of the first inning, scoring Brooke Knox for first run of the game. A wild pitch would move the outfielder to third, and following a walk to Grace Meyer the Knights attempted a double steal play, with the catcher moving in safely to second. On the play, the Trojans shortstop attempted to backpick Madere at third, but threw the ball away, allowing a run to score making it a 2-0 game.

Marian continued the hot streak after Olivia Stunkel faced the minimum in the circle in the second, as the junior pitcher got a double play to wipe out Taylor's first hit of the game. The offense kept their charge going in the home half of the second, as the Knights loaded the bases with walks to Lily Wendt and Anna Pritchett, while Hayley Greene sandwiched a single between the two. Savannah Harweger would line out in the next at bat, but a throw away from the first baseman in an attempt to turn a double play allowed Wendt to score. Knox followed with an RBI single, driving the lead to 4-0. 

Both sides retired the side in order in the third as Stunkel fired her first perfect inning of the game, while Maddie Foy silenced the Knights for the first time in the home half. Another perfect inning from Stunkel in the fourth brought the bats to the plate in the home side, with Marian driving home two more to their lead. RBI singles from Abby Madere and Sierra Norman capitalized the four-hit inning, as Marian led 6-0.

In attempts to rally Taylor scored a run off of a ground out to third in the top of the fifth inning, and a sacrifice fly into right field in the top of the sixth inning to bring the score 6-2. Stunkel limited the damage to one run in each inning, as she stranded two runners in the fifth with a strikeout ending the frame, while a groundout in the sixth would stop Taylor's offense. With the score holding static entering the seventh, Stunkel forced three consecutive groundouts to cap the win, putting Marian in the driver's seat to clinch a share of the conference championship.

Harweger, Madere, and Norman all claimed two hits in game one. Knox, Wendt, Green, Raegan Hiatt, and Anna Pritchett all claimed one hit in the 11 hits that Marian tallied. Madere claimed two RBI's in game one, while Norman and Knox each claimed one each. Olivia Stunkel took the win with two strikeouts and five hits given up, moving to 23-2 overall on the year in the circle. 

Game 2 | Marian 8-1 Taylor
As Marian celebrated their seniors in between games, the Knights received the ultimate senior day gift as Huntington handed Indiana Wesleyan a walk-off 7-6 defeat, putting the magic number to clinch the Crossroads League to one. Similar to the opening game, Marian recieved strong pitching in the first inning with Macy Coan attacking the Trojans in a quick three-up, three-down inning, and went to work on offense with Sierra Norman recording an RBI sacrifice fly, driving home Brooke Knox who recorded one of two hits in the inning.

Coan continued to mow down the Taylor offense, as she retired the side in order through three complete. The freshman faced the minimum in the second as her catcher Caroline Roop caught a runner stealing to end the inning, while the freshman did the work in the third scattering three groundouts through the infield. In the bottom of the third the Knights would add to their lead, Savannah Harweger singled and reached third on a steal and sacrifice bunt, scoring with ease on an RBI double from Abby Madere. Norman followed with an RBI single of her own, pushing the lead to 3-0.

The freshman Coan would continue her brillance in the fourth inning with a fourth consecutive scoreless inning, but in the fifth saw her streak of facing the minimum close as Madisyn Standridge belted a 3-2 pitch with one out in the fifth out of the park, ending the shutout with a solo home run. Marian's rookie pitcher rebounded after giving up the long ball, picking up consecutive ground ball outs to end the inning. The offense would respond in the home half of the fifth, repeating their formula from the third as Harweger singled and after stealing and touching third on a sacrifice, scored on an RBI single from Madere. Norman blasted an RBI double for the team's fifth run, and later in the inning Brenna Fink and Raegan Hiatt delivered pinch-hit RBI singles. Abbey Hofmann and Grace Meyer would also execute a double-steal play, giving Marian an 8-1 lead after five complete innings.

Coan would pitch into a jam in the sixth inning as Taylor put together one final rally cry, loading the bases with two singles and a fielder's choice. The freshman would pitch out of the inning with a line out to Harweger, and in the top of the seventh she delivered a strikeout and fly out to put Marian withing one out of a league championship. Marian would go to the lineup card before the final out as seniors Abigail McPherson and Jaylah Guilliam reparted in, with Guilliam making her debut at first base and McPherson taking over in the circle. The senior reliever would need just one pitch to cap the championship, forcing a pop up to third base to close Marian's 8-1 Crossroads League Championship, ending the 4-0 season sweep of Taylor.

Madere led the team going 3-3 in game two and claiming two RBI, Sierra Norman went 2-2 from the plate and claimed three RBI in game two. Macy Coan took home the win as she pitched 6.2 innings, giving up four hits and just one run. The freshman recorded four strikeouts in the win, with reliever Abigail McPherson recording the final out of the game. 

Marian's Crossroads League Regular Season Championship is their third in the last four years, winning outright championships in back-to-back seasons. Marian has won the Crossroads League Regular Season Championship in eight of the last nine CL seasons, a streak that spans over the last 10 years. 

With the regular season championship, Marian will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Crossroads League Tournament, playing May 1 at 3:00 p.m. All games of the Crossroads League Tournament will be played at Spring Arbor, with Marian playing either Mt. Vernon or a winner out of Tuesday's play-in games.