INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian University softball team swept No. 3-ranked Bethel College on Saturday, 9-4 and 5-3, at the Marian University Softball Field. The wins improved the Knights' record to 34-4 overall and 12-0 in conference play. The Knights have swept six MCC opponents and have won 14 straight contests.

Freshman Emily Gwaltney improved her record to 14-2 on the season with her win in the circle. Gwaltney surrendered eight hits, walked three and struck out four as she threw her 13th complete game of the season.

The Knights came out swinging in game one. MU posted three runs off three hits to take the early lead. With runners on first and second, freshman Helen Rogers hit an RBI-single to right center to bring the first run in for the Knights. Gwaltney was able to help her own cause in the contest with her own RBI-single and senior Melissa Coutz finished off the inning with an RBI-double down the right field line to give the Knights the early, 3-0, lead.

Bethel wasn't able to answer until the third inning when it posted one run off a solo homerun.

MU was able to double its run total in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run homerun by junior Mallory Ortwein. The shot was Ortwein's sixth of the 2010 season and 23rd of her career, which puts her three shy of the school record.

The Pilots tried to answer, once again, in the sixth, however the two runs they posted would not be enough to overtake the Knights.

MU would end the bottom of the sixth in much the same fashion as the fifth and first, with three runs. Junior Chelsea Bell got the inning started with an RBI-double, which brought around junior Jessica Slayton to score. Gwaltney then got her second RBI of the game with a single to left before Coutz doubled, this time down the left field line, for the third run of the inning.

BC came back with one run, off of one hit, in the top of the seventh but the Knights would go on to win by a 9-4 margin.

Slayton, Rogers, and Gwaltney each went 3-for-4 for the Knights in game one. Ortwein led the way with three RBI.

Senior Sandy Corum got the win in the second contest for the Knights. She improved her record to 14-1 on the season after she allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out seven for her seventh complete game of the season.

It took a bit longer for the Knights to get going in the second game, but once they got the bats swinging in the bottom of the third, the hits kept coming.

The Knights scored two unearned runs as Gwaltney reached on an error and two runs were able to score to give MU a 2-0 lead.

However, the Pilots would have an answer this game in the top of the fourth when they tied the game off a two-run homerun.

MU was able to come back in the bottom of the fourth with two more runs off of two hits. The Knights capitalized on another BC error as senior Angie Such reached on the error. Such came back around as a liner by Bell was dropped allowing Such to score the fourth run.

The Knights were able to tack on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth when senior Chelsea Young hit an RBI-single to the short stop to bring in freshman Brandy Roth.

MU surrendered one more run in the top of the sixth, but went on to the 5-3 victory to complete the sweep of the No. 3-ranked Pilots.

Slayton went 3-for-4 again for the Knights, while Young added two hits of her own.

The Knights look to clinch the MCC regular season title when they get back in action on Tuesday. They will play host to the University of Saint Francis (Ind.) in their final regular season home doubleheader as it is Senior Day. First pitch of the twin bill is slated for 3 p.m. Listen LIVE and follow our in-game blog at www.muknights.com.

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