INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian University softball team split a hard fought battle on Tuesday with the Blue Knights of Urbana University at Marian University Softball Field. The Knights pulled out the win in the first contest of the day, 2-1, before dropping the second contest, 5-4. The split gave MU a 20-4 overall record on the season.

Senior Sandy Corum got the win for the Knights in the first game after she threw six-and-one-third innings, allowed four hits, walked three and struck out two. Junior Kristi Roth got the save in the contest.

The Knights saw a familiar first inning from their opponent when they went down by a run off an RBI-single to left.

MU got the bats going in the third inning to even the score when senior Melissa Coutz crushed an RBI-single down the left field line.

In the bottom of the fourth, junior Jessica Slayton hit a shot to left field to put the winning run on the bases for the Knights. Junior Chelsea Bell took advantage of the opportunity and drove Slayton home with an RBI-double to left center.

The Knights continued their stellar defensive play and held Urbana to one run for the victory.

Slayton went 3-for-4 to lead the Knights, while Gwaltney finished 2-for-3.

In the second contest of the day, freshman Amy Tamer got the start for the Knights and went four-and-one-third innings. She gave up seven hits, walked two, and struck out five. Roth suffered the loss for the Knights in two-and-two-thirds innings of relief. She surrendered three hits, walked three, and struck out four.

The Knights got things started in the bottom of the first, after surrendering two runs in the top of the first, when freshman Helen Rogers hit an RBI-double to right field to drive in the Knights' first run of the contest. Gwaltney then stepped up and delivered her team-high 10th homerun of the season to give the Knights a 3-2 lead.

Urbana answered in its half of the third with a solo homerun off the MU scoreboard to knot the score at 3-3.

In the bottom of the third, with one swing of the bat, Gwaltney regained the lead for the Knights when she hit yet another shot over the fence for her 11th homerun of her rookie campaign.

The one-run lead was not enough for the Knights. Urbana managed a run in the fifth and sixth innings for the victory.

Gwaltney went 2-for-4 in the contest, including two homeruns and three RBI, and Slayton posted two more hits for the Knights on the day.

The Knights are back in action on Thursday when they travel to Winona Lake, Ind., to take on the Lancers of Grace College. The first pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 3 p.m.