Sioux Falls Sweeps U-Mary in Doubleheader Showdown
The Sioux Falls Cougars (22-21, 18-11 NSIC) dominated the University of Mary Marauders (17-21, 13-16 NSIC) in a doubleheader sweep on April 18, 2025, at Sioux Falls Stadium, securing an 11-5 victory in Game 1 and a 17-7 rout in Game 2. The Cougars' explosive offense, totaling 28 hits across both games, and opportunistic play overwhelmed U-Mary, with standout performances from Jaxon Haase, Dominic Vogel, and Isaac Bonner powering the wins on a windy, cloudy day.
Game 1: Sioux Falls 11, University of Mary 5
The Sioux Falls Cougars opened the doubleheader with an 11-5 rout, amassing 12 hits and capitalizing on three defensive miscues. Sioux Falls surged ahead in the third inning, scoring three runs: Noah Christenson singled, a pitch hit Ryan Gouldin, and Nolan Drossel reached on a fielding error. Vogel's RBI fielder's choice scored Christenson, Mitch Iliff's RBI double plated Drossel, and Ben Serie's RBI groundout scored Vogel, making it 3-0. In the fourth, Christenson and Gouldin scored on Drossel's two-RBI single, and Vogel's RBI single scored Drossel, pushing the lead to 6-0.
U-Mary scored four runs in the fifth on a two-RBI double, a sacrifice fly, and an RBI double, narrowing the gap to 6-4. Sioux Falls responded with three runs in the fifth: Haase's two-run homer scored Iliff, who was hit by a pitch, and Carson Jager drove a double down the right field line, scoring Bonner, making it 9-4. In the sixth, Drossel scored on a throwing error, and Serie's sacrifice fly brought home Iliff, extending the lead to 11-4. U-Mary added a run in the seventh on an RBI groundout, finalizing the score at 11-5.
Jake Ammann (4-4) earned the win, allowing four runs on four hits over 4.1 innings with three walks and two Ks. Serie secured his first save, pitching 2.2 innings and allowing one run on three hits.Â
Key Hitters:
Key Pitchers:
Game 2: Sioux Falls 17, University of Mary 7
The Cougars overwhelmed the Marauders 17-7 in Game 2, unleashing a 16-hit barrage and jumping to a six-run first inning. Sioux Falls exploded in the first: Vogel and Iliff singled, Serie singled to load the bases, Haase's two-RBI double scored Vogel and Iliff, and Bonner's two-RBI single scored Serie and Haase. Vogel's two-RBI single scored Drossel and Christenson, for a 6-0 lead. In the second, Bonner sent a single to right field that scored Serie, who doubled to lead off the inning. Jackson Yeager followed with a two-RBI double to left field that brought around Bonner and Haase. A slicing double down the left field line from Jager scored Yeager, making it 10-0.
U-Mary scored four runs in the third on a two-RBI single and a two-RBI double to cut the deficit to 10-4. Sioux Falls answered with three runs in the third: a pair of sacrifice flies from Yeager and Christenson, as well a a wild pitch that allowed Haase to score, pushing the lead to 13-4. The Marauders brought in two more runs in the top of the 4th to again cut it to 13-6. The 4th inning saw the Cougars notch a few more runs to their belt on a single from Serie to bring around Drossel before Haase launched a double that scored two more to build a 16-6 lead. Sioux Falls sealed the 17-7 win with a double from Bonner to score Vogel.
Logan Anderson (4-5) earned the win, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits over 4.0 innings with one walk and one K. Johnny Checheris and Kaleb Klinkhammer combined for three scoreless innings, allowing one hit.
Key Hitters:
- Ben Serie: 4-for-4, 1 RBI, 4 runs, 1 2B, 1 SB
- Isaac Bonner: 3-for-3, 4 RBI, 3 runs, 1 2B, 2 BB
- Jaxon Haase: 2-for-2, 4 RBI, 3 runs, 2 2B
Key Pitchers:
- Logan Anderson: 4.0 IP, 10 H, 7 R (6 ER), 1 BB, 1 K (Win)
- Johnny Checheris: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
- Kaleb Klinkhammer: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0Â BB
Up Next
Riding the momentum of their doubleheader sweep, the Cougars face the University of Mary Marauders again in a single game on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Sioux Falls Stadium, scheduled for noon, aiming to complete the series sweep.
