FORT WAYNE, Indiana - The Marian College softball team got back on the winning track after a hiccup at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods yesterday.

 

The Knights swept Mid-Central College Conference foe Saint Francis on Thursday, 10-1 and 9-0. Both games were completed in six innings.

 

After USF scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead, the Knights answered with a pair in the top of the second on a solo home run by senior Amanda Teagardin (Indianapolis/Southport) and an RBI-single by freshman Kelsey Uebelhor (St. Anthony, Indiana/Forest Park) to take a 2-1 lead.

 

Senior pitcher Heather Pieper (Greenwood, Indiana/Greenwood) settled down and shut down the Cougars the rest of the way. She allowed just three hits over the next five innings and struck out six to earn her 12th victory of the season. She now has 11 complete games and is 12-3 on the season.

 

The Knights finished off the Cougars in the top of the sixth when they posted an eight-run inning. Sophomore Mallory Ortwein (Anderson, Indiana/Anderson) ripped a two-run double to open the scoring and freshman Brittany Camp (Kokomo, Indiana/Kokomo) hit an RBI-sacrifice fly to make the score 5-1.

 

Junior Angie Such (Brownsburg, Indiana/Brownsburg) hit an RBI-single and sophomore Jessica Slayton (Indianapolis/Decatur Central) ripped an RBI-single as well. After sophomore Chelsea Bell (Indianapolis/Franklin Central) hit an RBI-double, senior Samantha Hypes (Plainfield, Indiana/Plainfield) hit an RBI-ground out to round out the 10-1 win.

 

Five Knights finished with two hits, nine different players scored runs, and the Knights finished with 13 hits in the win.

 

In game two, the Knights opened the scoring early and did not relent en route to a 9-0 win. They posted four runs in the top of the second as four RBI-singles put them up 4-0. The Knights added three more in the top of the third for a 7-0 lead.

 

Ortwein hit her team-leading ninth home run of the season to open the inning, and junior Chelsea Young (Brownsburg, Indiana/Brownsburg) hit an RBI-double. Such finished the inning with an RBI-single to give junior Sandy Corum (North Vernon, Indiana/Jennings County) more than enough run support.

 

Corum, reigning MCC Pitcher of the Week, threw a complete game shutout and scattered just three hits. She struck out six en route to her seventh win of the season. She is now 7-0.

 

The Knights finished the job in the top of the sixth with an RBI-single by Ortwein and an RBI-single by Such to earn the 9-0 win.

 

Slayton went 3-for-3 with an RBI while Ortwein and Such each went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Junior Melissa Coutz (Indianapolis/Bishop Chatard) and Young each added two hits.

 

The Knights pounded out a season-high 18 hits in the victory.

 

They come back to the friendly confines of Marian College Softball Field on Saturday. Goshen College comes to town for an MCC doubleheader at 1 p.m.