Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Aurora University Spartan softball traveled to Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) foe Marian University for two big wins on Sunday, April 6, 2014. Aurora won both games of the doubleheader, winning 4-1 and 6-0.

Game One
Aurora 4
Marian 1
 
Aurora scored twice in the top of the first, with runs batted in from senior Sarah Clauser and sophomore Vanessa Hartzell. Hartzell also received the win as a pitcher with one earned run and five strikeouts in seven innings. In the first inning, AU got five hits, all singles, but left the bases loaded with the chance to do further damage.
 
The Spartans led 2-0 after the first, and held the lead for the rest of the game.  In the second inning, freshman Mandey Shrader singled and later scored to increase the Spartan lead to 3-0.
 
Marian ended the shutout with a solo homerun in the fourth, which would serve as Marian's lone run off Hartzell.
 
Clauser scored a run in the seventh inning on a passed ball to finish the games scoring for Aurora and put the score at 4-1.
 
Game Two
Aurora 6
Marian 0
 
AU used a big inning in game two to overcome the Sabres. The Spartans exploded for six runs in the second inning to give starting pitcher Natalie Zanella all the run support she would need.
 
In the top of the second, Taylor Moore led off with a single. Her hit was the first of six in the inning for AU. With one out, Logan Cahill doubled to score Moore and Cahill scored on batter later when Danielle Bestwina singled to center. After Lauren Huebner singled and the second out of the inning was made, the AU bats made more noise. Freshman Laura Dierking hit a run scoring double. After Clauser reached on an error that scored Huebner. Clauser and Dierking then pulled off a double steal before Steph Starr singled them both home for the 6-0 lead.

Zanella coasted to the win in the circle with no runs, four strikeouts and scattered eight hits in seven innings.
 
The Spartans are now 10-8 overall and 4-0 in the NACC after the sweep. Next action for the Spartan softball team comes on Wednesday, April 9 when they travel to Benedictine University. Game one is set for 3:00 p.m. in Lisle, Ill.