By: Brian Larson, Associate Athletic Director - Communications

SIOUX FALLS, SD – Twice facing elimination on day two of the 2026 Northern Sun baseball tournament, the University of Mary twice found a way to win and remain alive. The Marauders used a dominant effort on the mound by Aiden Johnson to knock off Minot State University 8-1 in the opener before rallying from a 6-run deficit to defeat the University of Sioux Falls 7-6.

The Minot State victory was the first-ever UMary NSIC baseball tournament win.
 
The Marauders, the #3 seed in the tournament, improve to 36-17 overall this season. Minot State closes the season with a record of 26-25 while Sioux Falls finishes the year 26-26.
 
UMary next faces Winona State University in another elimination game at 3:30 pm Friday, May 8, at the Sioux Falls Stadium Birdcage. WSU defeated UMary 6-2 in the opening round of the tournament.
 
GAME 1: University of Mary 8 Minot State University 2
Taking the ball with the Marauders needing a win to keep playing in the Northern Sun tournament, Aiden Johnson dominated the Beavers lineup. The senior righthander struck out eight and allowed just two runs over eight impressive innings as the Marauders eliminated Highway 83 rival Minot State University 8-2 on day two of the NSIC tournament.
 
Johnson set personal UMary career-highs for both innings and strikeouts in a single game. The native of Westminster, CO, limited the Beavers to just six hits. He also walked three while throwing a season-high 110 pitches.
 
The Beavers opened the scoring with a single run in the first. Taking advantage of early wildness by Johnson, Minot State parlayed two walks, a single and a ground out into a run.
 
The Marauders, who stranded 15 runners in a 6-2 loss to Winona State University in the tournament opener, left a runner on base in each of the first two innings. UMary broke through in the third as five straight hitters reached base. Following a leadoff hit by Mikey Ramirez and a walk to Kalem Haney, Marcus Butts singled up the middle to score Ramirez. Following another walk, Bryce Leafgren singled to center to score Haney for a 2-1 UMary lead.
 
All-NSIC outfielder Isaac Pegors doubled the Marauders run total to 4-1 in the 5^th inning with a 2-run shot over the left field wall. The home run was his 17^th this season, one shy of his team record.
 
Johnson dominated the middle innings. After retiring the last three hitters he faced in the second, Johnson faced the minimum over the next three innings with UMary turning two double plays.
  
Leafgren pushed the game out of reach of the Beavers with a grand slam in the seventh inning for an 8-1 UMary lead. It was his 13^th of the season, a career-high.
 
UMary left just five runners on base.
 
Leafgren, a 2^nd team All-NSIC first baseman for a second straight season, finished with two hits and five RBIs.
 
Ramirez, Butts and Haney all had two hits and two runs scored. Butts also had an RBI.
 
Haney now has 202 career hits as he closes in on Noah Hull's school record of 206.
 
Michael Williamson posted three hits for Minot State. Ayden Sauerbrei gave up four runs in six innings.
 
GAME 2: University of Mary 7 University of Sioux Falls 6
Forced to overcome a 6-run deficit, the University of Mary rallied to victory behind legendary moments throughout the lineup in a 7-6 win over the University of Sioux Falls.
 
Trailing 5-0 after three innings, the Marauders bullpen kept UMary's hopes alive as four relievers combined to hold the Cougars to one unearned run over the last six innings.
 
Entering the game to start the fourth inning, Jack Thompson recorded five outs while giving up just one unearned run in the fifth inning. With one runner on base, Brody Wrench got the last out of the fifth and pitched a perfect sixth inning, retiring all four hitters he faced.
 
The Marauders offense finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth. A leadoff single by Kalem Haney and a double down the left field line by Marcis Butts placed a pair of runners in scoring position. Isaac Pegors delivered UMary's first run with a single to score Haney. With runners on the corners, Butts scored on a wild pitch. A USF mistake led to a third Marauders run. Kieran Gaffney hit a tall popup on the infield that was dropped. Off on the 2-out contact, Pegors scored from second to pull UMary within 6-3.
 
Kaden Caldwell pitched a perfect seventh and the Marauders scored again in the bottom of the inning. Mikey Ramirez led off with a walk and stole second before scoring on a two-out single to center by Bryce Leafgren as the UMary gap was closed to 6-4.
 
With all the momentum now on the Marauders side, Caldwell pitched another scoreless inning in the eighth to set up a big inning for the UMary offense.
 
Gaffney and Rhee led off with singles and moved into scoring position on a USF error. Cru Walker grounded out to second to score Gaffney and advance Rhee to third.
 
With Ramirez at bat, the UMary center fielder appeared to be hit by a pitch. After an umpires meeting, Ramirez was denied first base. The move proved fortuitous for the Marauders as Ramirez proceeded to rope a 2-1 pitch to left field to score Rhee and tie the game.
 
An infield single by Haney and a throwing error by USF allowed Ramirez to score the go-ahead run for the Marauders at 7-6, the first lead of the game for UMary.
 
All-conference closer Cole Smith came on to slam shut the door on the Cougars, but the save came with a high level of anxiety. After fouling off three straight 2-2 pitches, William Edwards shot a ball to right field that made it to the wall when the UMary defender slipped on the turf.
 
With the tying run just 90 feet away, Smith rose to the challenge of preserving the lead. The next batter lined out to Leafgren at first. Smith followed by striking out the next hitter on three pitches before closing the game with another line out, this one to Gaffney at third base on a 1-2 pitch.
 
The save is the eighth of the year for Smith, tying the school record.
 
Haney, Rhee and Pegors all had two hits and one run scored. Pegors also had an RBI. Ramirez scored twice, stole two bases and drove in a run.
 
Haney now has 204 hits, just two shy of Noah Hull's school-record total of 206.
 
Caldwell picked up his fifth win of the season without a loss. He allowed one hit and struck out one batter.
 
Owen Weadge pitched the first six innings for USF, allowing three earned runs and striking out five. Mitch Illif drove in two runs and scored once.