Marion softball picked up a pair of dramatic non-conference victories last Thursday and on Monday afternoon. The Patriots struck for seven runs in the top of the seventh to take down an 8-4 victory at Wynne last Thursday. Marion (12-7 overall, 4-2 5A East) carried a 7-0 lead into the seventh inning on Monday against St. Benedict at Auburndale before allowing the Eagles to tie the game in the top half of the final inning before earning an 8-7 walk-off at Marion Sports Complex. Trailing 2-1 entering the seventh inning at Wynne, Marion sophomore Anna Hitchman (2-4 at Wynne with two RBI and a run scored) tied the game with a long home run to center field. Junior Kelsey Baker (1-3 with a run) followed with a single just before junior Anna Murphy walked. That's when shortstop Brianna Morquecho gave Marion the lead with a single that plated Baker and moved courtesy runner Chloe Miller to third. A Jacey Holder groundout brought Miller to plate and Morquecho came around on a Claire Hall single. A Kelsey Eppes single scored Gracie Griffin for a 6-2 Marion advantage and when McKenzie Shinabery (two RBI and a run scored) doubled, Eppes' run gave the Pats a 7-2 lead. Hitchman's double chased in Shinabery to cap Marion's scoring. Murphy worked seven innings at Wynne, surrendering six hits, four runs (one earned), and struck out a pair of Yellowjackets. Marion finished fast at Wynne, but the Pats were hot out of the gates in Monday's tilt against St. Benedict at Auburndale, which boasts three college softball signees. The Pats plated two runs in the first when Baker (3-3 against St. Benedict with three runs scored) walked, stole second, and scored on a passed ball. Shinabery (1-3, two RBI, and two runs scored) reached on a fielder's choice and came around on Eppes' (three RBI and a run) sacrifice fly. The two runs held up until the third when Eppes walked and moved to second on a passed ball. Holder plated Eppes with a single for a 3-0 Marion lead. Baker fired up the Marion offense again in the fourth when she singled, stole second, and moved to third on Emerson Miller's (2-4 with a run) single. That summoned Shinabery, who cracked a triple over the head of the St. Benedict right fielder to plate Baker and Miller. Eppes' ensuing sacrifice fly plated Shinabery and Marion led 6-0 after four innings. Another Eppes sac fly scored Baker in the bottom of the sixth when Marion claimed a 7-0 lead. As crucial as Shinabery's presence at the plate was against St. Benedict, a pair of outfield assists may go down as the plays of the game. The junior centerfielder cut down an Eagle runner at the plate on a single to end the top of the sixth. In the top of the seventh with one out, Shinabery snared a line drive and delivered a strike to Holder at the plate, beating the St. Benedict runner by several steps to keep the score knotted at 7 to give Marion a chance to win in the home half of the seventh. That came to pass when Murphy absorbed a hit by pitch leading off the seventh before giving way to courtesy runner Micah Cupples. A Holder sacrifice bunt advanced Cupples to second, giving Marion two cracks to walk off with a runner in scoring position. Morquecho only needed one. The shortstop cracked a ball to the right side of the infield that St. Benedict couldn't handle. The ball crawled down the right-field line and Cupples came around with the winning score. Hitchman earned the win inside the circle by working 5.2 innings and surrendering a single hit and run while striking out a pair. Marion hosts West Memphis on April 19 before traveling to Paragould on Thursday, April 21 for a conference varsity doubleheader. The Paragould doubleheader will be streamed live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30.