Photo by Jake McNeill/Marshall Independent New Ulm third baseman Eliana Cariveau greets shortstop Lauren Schmiesing following an out during a Big South Conference softball game in Marshall.

By Jake McNeill

sports@marshallindependent.com

MARSHALL — Early offense and consistent pitching resulted in the New Ulm softball team downing Marshall 9-0 on Tuesday. The Eagles scored five runs in the first two innings and never looked back, cruising to a Big South Conference win.

“We have a tendency to come out strong in our games, and then we have this little thing where we just — well you saw it today, where we lay dormant for a bit,” New Ulm head coach Kristi Anderson Loose said. “I was proud of the girls that they came up strong in the end. This was finally a strong finish for us, where even in the other games we played, it didn’t seem like we finished the game. Today we finished the game, which was a much improved effort from games in the past.”

Miley Flor pitched the first two shutout innings for New Ulm, limiting Marshall to four hits with no walks. Megan Brudelie took over from there with another five shutout innings, limiting Marshall to three hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

The Eagles bats came out swinging in the first. A pair of singles from Gracie Baker and Lauren Schmiesing put two runners on with one out, and consecutive walks to Flor and Madalynn Olson pushed across the Eagles’ first run of the day. Natalie Fischer went on to hit a two-run double with two outs to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead after the first.

After New Ulm’s hot start, the Marshall pitching and defense locked in to hold the Eagles scoreless for four straight innings, including three consecutive three-up, three-down frames.

New Ulm continued to attack at the plate in the second. Keira Sullivan hit a leadoff double before scoring on a Gracie Baker single, and Schmiesing doubled in Baker to give the Eagles a five-run cushion.

Brynlee Dieken had a game-high three hits for Marshall, including a double, while Sara Dallman also reached base twice with a single and a walk.

“Marshall came out with a strong game today. They were chippy on defense, their pitcher placed the ball really, really well and they made our defense work,” Anderson Loose said. “They made our defense really get a little bit more tested, especially with their small-ball game that they ran today, so it was a good little outing for our defense to try to come up and perform in some new different positions.”

Fischer and Olson each drove in three runs for the Eagles, coming on a double and a single for Fischer and a double for Olson. Olson also drew a walk and Schmiesing finished with a double, a single and a walk.

Dallman pitched the first 6 1/3 innings for Marshall, surrendering seven earned runs on eight hits and three walks. She also struck out six batters. In relief, Jennifer Lee gave up one earned and one unearned run on a pair of hits while getting the final two outs.

Marshall falls to 0-7 on the season and New Ulm improves to 3-3. The two teams play again on Monday, when the Eagles host the Tigers in New Ulm at 5:30 p.m.