March 17, 2004
The Gulls improved to 3-2 in a comeback thriller in Orlando, Florida. The Gulls played host to Marian College of Wisconsin. The game saw Marian dominate the Gulls for the first four innings. Marian would leave seven runners on base, mainly due to the ability for pitcher Robyn Savitske to get out of some tough jams.
Marian would put up two runs in the fourth inning when Michelle McCauley singled and Jamie Juchcinski walked. Bobby Jo Merton would single driving in both runs, but Savitske would pitch her way out of it giving up only two runs.
The top of the fifth inning saw some more of the same when four of the next five batters would hit singles, allowing two runs to score. Nicole Reather came in to pitch in relief and behind two great defensive plays on the mound she got out of the jam.
The Gulls would come back in the bottom of the fifth in a rally. Lauren DeMaio started it off with a double and would advance to third on an error by the Marian shortstop. The error also allowed Laura Schack to reach first base. Reather would follow with a walk, leaving the bases loaded for the Gulls slugger Megan Huckins. Huckins would not disappoint and took pitcher, Ashley Baker to the right field fence. The big hit allowed all three runners to score and left Huckins at third with the tying run. Marian would then bring in lefty, Julia Skenandore to pitch, but she threw a ball in the dirt that skipped to the backstop allowing Huckins to score the tying run.
In the sixth inning, the Gulls played great defense behind Reather and would shut Marian down. This setup another rally started by DeMaio once again. DeMaio would draw a walk and be pinch-run for by Kacy Beloin. Beloin would move up two bases on passed balls. Laura Mangini then also walked and Schack bunted for a single leaving the bases loaded. Once again, Huckins stepped to the plate and delivered. This time it was with patience in drawing the walk allowing the 5th and winning run to walk 60 feet home.
The seventh inning brought a near comeback by Marian. Lexi Pegram walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Merton singled but a heads up play by shortstop Jennilee Danielson caught Pegram in a rundown for the third out and sealed the win.
The Gulls play next tomorrow versus Springfield College and Geneva College in their final day at the Rebel Spring Games.
