URBANA, Ohio - The Marian University softball team continued its string of results as the Knights picked up a non-conference sweep at Urbana University in Urbana, Ohio on Thursday afternoon.

The Knights knocked off the Blue Knights by 8-7 and 7-4 scores to win their 11th and 12th straight games and improve to 32-4 on the season.

Freshman hurler Emily Gwaltney improved to 13-2 on the season after she threw five innings, allowed two earned runs on seven hits and struck out four en route to her 10th straight victory.

MU started quickly on Urbana as the Knights posted a pair in the top of the first of game one to take an early 2-0 lead. Junior Jessica Slayton opened the game with a double and was brought home on an RBI-single by freshman Helen Rogers. Gwaltney helped her own cause with an RBI-double to score Rogers and give herself a 2-0 lead.

However, the lead did not last long as the Blue Knights scored three unearned runs in the bottom half to take a 3-2 advantage.

MU tallied two more in the second as sophomore Kelsey Uebelhor hit her third homerun, a two-run shot, of the season to regain a 4-3 lead. They added two more in the third as senior Melissa Coutz hammered her fifth homer of the season, also a two-run bomb, to push the lead to 6-3.

They were able to tack on two more in the top of the fifth as junior Mallory Ortwein went deep for the fifth time this year. She also hit a two-run shot to give the Knights an 8-3 lead.

Urbana fought back with a pair in the fifth and a pair in the sixth, but could not complete the comeback as junior Kristi Roth slammed the door in the fifth to pick up her fourth save of the campaign. She allowed two runs on four hits and struck out three in two innings of work.

Coutz led the Knights as she went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBI, while Slayton, Gwaltney and sophomore Brittany Camp each added two hits.

The second game opened the same way as the Knights jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead on an RBI-single by junior Chelsea Bell. Urbana responded with one in the bottom of the second to tie the game, but the Knights added five in the third to break the game open.

The long ball played no part in this game as Slayton and Rogers each had an RBI-single, Gwaltney had an RBI-double and Coutz had an RBI-sacrifice fly that ended up scoring Gwaltney as well to give MU a 6-1 advantage.

Urbana responded with a pair in the third and one more in the fourth to cut the lead to 6-4, but senior Sandy Corum held the Blue Knights in the fifth. MU added one more on an Urbana error to give Corum the 7-4 lead before she gave way to freshman Amy Tamer.

Tamer threw two innings of scoreless relief, allowed just two hits and struck out four to pick up her first save of the campaign. Corum threw five innings, allowed three earned runs on nine hits and struck out one to improve to 13-1 on the season.

Gwaltney finished 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI, while five other Knights each added a hit.

The Knights take on No. 3-ranked Bethel College on Saturday afternoon at Marian University Softball Field. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. and the games will air LIVE at www.muknights.com.