UPLAND, Ind. – For the third consecutive year and the 10th time in program history, the Marian softball team has brought home the Crossroads League Tournament Championship, as the Knights dominated Indiana Wesleyan 13-1 in five innings on Friday afternoon in the championship game. Marian’s tournament championship gives them a 44-7 overall record as they begin to set their sights on the NAIA National Tournament.
Olivia Stunkel got Marian off to a great start as she made her fourth appearance of the season against Indiana Wesleyan, stranding a one-out single in the top of the first inning with an inning-ending strikeout. The bats got to work right away in the home half, as Abbey Hofmann reached on an error, while making her way to third on a passed ball and Anna Pritchett’s sacrifice bunt. Lily Wendt recorded an RBI fielder’s choice to push in Hofmann and score the first run, while Jenna Minnix delivered a two-out RBI single to score Wendt and capture a 2-0 advantage.
Indiana Wesleyan would make their only dent in the scoreboard in the top of the second inning, as Sadie Harding got the best of a pitch and homered to right field, delivering a run off Stunkel’s third hit allowed in the game. The Wildcats threatened as the second prolonged with a pair of two-out hits, but a flyout to Anna Pritchett would stall the threat and cap what would be the most productive inning of the game for IWU.
The Knights responded after the Wildcats’ home run in the second with one of their own in the home half, getting their first runner on base in the frame via a wild pitch that clipped Caroline Roop. Brooke Knox made the first dent in the frame with a home run to right-center field, hammering her fourth yard call of the season. Hofmann and Pritchett would keep the inning going with singles, while Lily Wendt delivered an RBI base hit to give the Knights a commanding 5-1 lead.
Stunkel struck out two in the top of the third, and in the fourth rolled through the Wildcats as she allowed a bunt single before getting three infield pop ups to end the frame. The Knights were held scoreless in the bottom of the third, but after their defensive excellence in the fourth, the offense started clicking again as the first two batters reached to lead off the frame. Lily Wendt drove home the first run of the inning with an RBI single, and following a Grace Meyer base hit, Jenna Minnix scored a run with her RBI hit. Hayley Greene plated two with an RBI single, and Minnix would eventually score on a wild pitch, making the game a 10-1 contest.
The offense continued working in the bottom of the fourth as a pair of walks loaded the bases, and Brooke Knox made the pair of free passes sting as she roped a double to center, driving in two more. Emily Phillips would finish the scoring with a pinch-hit RBI groundout, halting the scoring at 13-1. With a one-sided lead at hand, Stunkel walked back out and dominated her final inning, forcing three consecutive outs to complete the run-rule victory and land Marian’s Crossroads League Championship.
Olivia Stunkel moved to 26-0 on the season with the complete game win, as she moved to 4-0 against Indiana Wesleyan on the year. Stunkel struck out four batters, while allowing just one run and six hits in the win. Offensively, Marian had 11 base hits, getting a dominant performance from Brooke Knox who went 2-3 at the plate, doubling and homering with four RBI. Abbey Hofmann and Lily Wendt each had two hits and scored a pair of runs, while Jenna Minnix went 2-2 at the plate. Caroline Roop scored two runs, and Hayley Greene had two RBI.
The Knights will go on the road for the 2025 NAIA National Tournament Opening Round, with their destination to be announced on Wednesday night during the NAIA Selection Show. Marian will either be a one- or two-seed during the NAIA Tournament Opening Round.