INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian baseball team earned a home sweep of (RV) Indiana Wesleyan Saturday afternoon, finishing their home stand and series against the Wildcats on a high note. Damien Wallace tossed a complete game shutout as Marian rolled to a 5-0 game one win, while in the second game a walk-off grand slam from Rylan Huntley lifted the Knights to a 7-4 win. Marian moves to 10-10 overall on the season with the sweep, holding at 4-4 in Crossroads League play.

GAME 1 | Marian 5-0 Indiana Wesleyan

Damien Wallace pitched one of his best games as a Knight on Saturday afternoon, starting strong against the Wildcats as a the third-year pitcher retired the first 10 batters of the game. Wallace earned four strikeouts in the first 10 outs of the game which included fanning the side in the third, but the quest for perfection halted on a Lucas Goodin single in the fourth. Marian's ace shrugged off the single, and proceeded to get back to back looking strikeouts to end the inning unharmed.

Wallace was backed by a first inning run, as Marian jumped on the board first with a Trey Heidlage double sparking the offense. Kameron Salazar reached safely on a sacrifice bunt attempt, and with two outs JJ Rivera ripped a single through the left side to drive in the game's first run. The offense for Marian quieted after their break through first inning despite getting a runner in scoring position in the second and fifth, but broke through in the sixth with three runs.

Jackson Hogg drew a walk and reached third following a Bryce Davenport double to put two runners in scoring position to charge the frame, but Hogg would get tagged out at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch. Another errant pitch by Indiana Wesleyan's Will Eldridge after a walking Rivera would allow Davenport to score, and five pitches later the Knights once again had two in scoring position after Caden Jones smashed a double to left. Jones' base hit forced a pitching change, but Brennan Morehead was just as erratic as Eldridge, throwing a wild pitch to score Rivera with a passed ball later in the inning scoring Jones.

The free runs helped Marian take a 4-0 lead after six complete, which was enough run support for Wallace as he picked up four strikeouts in the fifth and sixth innings to continue the shutout. The Marian pitcher fanned two more Wildcats in the seventh as a line drive caught in left field by Hogg stranded two Indiana Wesleyan runners. Wallace returned for the eighth inning as his pitch count surpassed the century mark, with the righty still commanding the mound striking out his first victim while forcing a pair of outs toward Salazar at second base. A pinch-hit RBI double from AJ Bordenet added an additional insurance run in the home half of the eighth, and in the ninth Wallace finished what he started, getting a strikeout to put a stamp on his 5-0 complete game win.

Wallace moved to 4-1 on the year with his first complete game effort, allowing just four hits and walking one runner in the game. Wallace struckout 14 batters and recorded three outs in the field, making 17 of the 27 outs while throwing 123 pitches. At the plate, Salazar and Jones each had two hits, while Rivera and Bordenet picked up Marian's lone RBI. 

GAME 2 | Marian 7-4 Indiana Wesleyan

Craig Nixon took the mound in game two, and showed some struggles in the first inning as he hit the lead-off batter and walked the second. A pair of stolen bases put the two Wildcats in scoring position, however the visitors came away with just one run as Nixon tossed two strikeouts and got a sacrifice fly to limit the damage to one. Nixon picked up momentum in the second and third inning, throwing a pair of strikeouts in both the second and third as he faced the minimum in each frame.

Marian's offense got started in the third inning, as Aaron Hunter drew a one-out walk. A bunt single from Heidlage and walk to Salazar loaded the bases, moving pinch-runner Johnny Roeder into scoring position. Roeder would score on a hard groundout by Jackson Hogg, as the senior tied the game at one run each. The Knights would follow with a run in the second as they took a 2-1 lead, getting a double out of Bordenet, who would score on an RBI single hit by Caden Mason into shallow center field. 

Nixon continued to work with the lead as he forced three straight outs in the fifth, and gained another run of support in the fifth as Bryce Davenport scored Heidlage on an RBI single. Marian's 3-1 lead held through the sixth inning as Nixon stranded two in the frame, but in the seventh Indiana Wesleyan was able to end the starter's outing as Caleb Engelsman hit a lead-off double. Taylor Soper was called out of the pen, but struggled to find the strike zone as the southpaw walked two batters and hit two in his outing, recording just one out before exiting the game. Daniel Brenneman came out of the bullpen to get out of the jam, inheriting a bases-loaded situation with two outs to get. Brenneman forced two flyouts, however the first was deep enough into center field as Ty Matthews' sacrifice fly pushed IWU in front 4-3.

Needing a run to tie, Marian got started with two outs as Davenport singled through the left side. Back to back Garrison Knight walks put Rivera and Bordenet on base, loading the bags for Rylan Huntley. Huntley worked the count to 3-0 before taking back to back strikes, seeing a full count with the winning run at second. Huntley found Knight's fastball, and connected with a towering homerun down the left field line, clearing the fences for a walk-off grand slam, giving Marian a 7-4 win. 

Huntley's walk-off home run was Marian's seventh hit of the game and the shortstop's first, as he plated four runs in the win. Davenport and Mason each had two hits for Marian, while Rivera drew three walks. Nixon struckout eight batters as he took a six inning no-decision, with the senior allowing two hits and two runs in the game. Brenneman claimed the win, recording the final two outs in the seventh to move to 1-1 on the year. 

Marian's two victories end an 11-game home stand, as the Knights will go on the road for their next eight Crossroads League games. The Knights are scheduled to open their road trip at Spring Arbor on Friday, March 17. 

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