Jackson, Miss. - Continuing their suspended game from Saturday, the Marian baseball team poured on the offense Sunday as they swept the series-closing doubleheader against Tougaloo College. Marian won their suspended contest in eight innings with a 17-4 victory, while closing the afternoon with a 7-2 victory to bring a 3-2 record back to Indiana.
Game 1 | Marian 17-4 Tougaloo (8 Innings)
Tougaloo plated the first runs of the game when play started on Saturday, striking twice against Chris Adams in the first inning. The Knights answered with a monstrous second inning, driving home six runs on six hits, with Caden Mason, Trey Heidlage, and Rylan Huntley each tripling in the frame. Base hits from Jackson Hogg, Dion Wintjes, and Max Steffen added to the big inning, helping drive the lead to four runs. The Bulldogs came back with an unearned run off Adams in the home half, ending the second with Marian on top 6-3.
Rain stopped play on Saturday, and when it resumed on Sunday it took the Knights an inning to find the offense. Heidlage reached on an error to start the fourth, setting the stage for two runs as he scored after Hogg put the ball in play as another error scored the run. A bases loaded walk scored the second run as Steffen drew the RBI pass, and in the home half four strikeouts from Vince Bonanni kept the Knights rolling. An RBI base hit from JJ Rivera in the fifth drove home a run, and in the sixth a Kameron Salazar single and another triple from Heidlage highlighted a three-run frame.
Bonanni continued to throw well stranding two runners in the sixth, protecting a 12-3 lead going into the seventh. A double from Caden Jones helped bring in another run in the seventh, putting Hogg in scoring position after getting hit by a pitch. A sacrifice fly from Wintjes scored the 13th run, and matched Tougaloo for the inning as the Bulldogs hit Bonanni twice to drive home a score.
The game was put to bed in the eighth inning, as Marian racked up four more base hits leading to four runs. A two-RBI double from Heidlage scored the first two runs, while an RBI base hit from Hogg and RBI sacrifice fly off Jones' bat brought in runs 16 and 17. Logan Drook closed the game on the mound, stranding a hit and a walk in his first collegiate inning to complete the run-rule victory.
Marian had 18 hits in game two of the series, with Heidlage going 4-5 in to lead the team. Heidlage had three RBI and scored four runs, stealing a base on the afternoon as well. Wintjes went 3-3 with two RBI, and Rivera, Jones, Mason, and Hogg each had two hits. On the mound, Adams did not factor into the decision as he went two innings with four strikeouts, allowing one hit and two earned runs. Bonanni earned his first collegiate win going 5.0 innings, allowing four hits while fanning seven.
Game 2 | Marian 7-2 Tougaloo
In the series finale, Marian got strong pitching out of the gate from Damien Wallace who picked up a pair of strikeouts in the first inning. Wallace did not share the same success in the second inning, drilling a batter ad giving up two hits that would allow the game's first score. The second strikeout of the inning provided a spark, and in the third Marian answered with two runs to take the lead. Trey Heidlage reached on error to start the charge, scoring on an RBI triple from Rylan Huntley.
An RBI groundout from JJ Rivera in the third provided a 2-1 lead, holding at the same margin going into the fourth as Wallace ended the inning with a perfect inning and two striekouts. A lead-off triple from Caden Jones in the fourth led to the lead growing, as Dion Wintjes brought home his teammate with an RBI groundout. Wallace was perfect again in the fourth, and in the fifth two more hits led to a run, with Rivera scoring AJ Bordenet on a sacrifice fly.
Leading 4-2 going into the home half of the sixth, Wallace showed some fatigue allowing a pair of base hits to Tougaloo, as they scored their second run. Wallace closed strong catching a pop-up on the mound to end the frame, and in the seventh got closing run support as the Knights scored three more runs. A double from Huntley got the offense rolling, as Hogg and Wintjes brought in the three scores. Joe Nelan closed the game on the mound with a five-run cushion, allowing one hit in his inning before closing the game on a strikeout.
Marian's pitching was strong in the series finale, with Wallace going 6.0 innings and striking out eight batters to earn his first win of the season. The combined efforts of Wallace and Nelan limited Tougaloo to six hits, throwing 90 pitches in the win. Marian had nine hits of their own in the win, with Huntley, Wintjes, and Jones each recording two. Both of Huntley's hits were for extra bases, blasting a double and a triple.
Marian will play a three-game series at Brewton Parker University this coming weekend, with a nine-inning game to be played on Friday to open the weekend.
MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos and more.
