Winona Lake, Ind. - The Marian baseball team suffered back to back defeats Friday afternoon, as Grace College swept the first two meetings of the season between the Knights and Lancers. Grace won the opening game 10-3, while taking the second act 6-1. Marian falls to 11-15 overall on the season, and 5-9 in Crossroads League play.

GAME 1 | Marian 3-10 Grace

Jayson Cottrell made his first collegiate start on Friday afternoon in game one, and threw well on the mound in his first inning, stranding a pair of batters with back to back strikeouts ot end the frame. Marian threatened to score as Jackson Hogg singled to lead off the second and got into scoring position, but was unable to do so as Cottrell's counterpart Kyle Reinartz picked up back to back strikeouts. 

The Marian southpaw pitched a scoreless second inning as he stranded a single and a walk, but after the Knights stranded two of their own in the top of the third, the redshirt-freshman's luck wore out in the home half. Cottrell gave up a single and double to lead-off the frame, picking up an out on a groundout to shortstop that allowed Grace to plate the first run of the game. Michael Mates would come on in relief, and would close the inning on a flyout, but not before allowing a run to cross the plate, ending the third with Marian trailing 2-0.

Grace would tack on a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to double their lead, as Mates allowed three base hits in the inning. The Marian bats finally woke up in the fifth after falling behind 4-0, getting a lead-off hit from JJ Rivera. After Rivera stole second and Caden Mason walked, the bases filled with Trey Heidlage working a walk. The opportunity set up Bryce Davenport, who ripped a two-RBI single into right field, scoring both Rivera and Mason to cut the deficit in half. A pitching change brought in Isaiah Herbster after the hit, with the reliever forcing Hogg to pop up and end the rally. 

Justin Johnson would enter the game to pitch in the fifth and threw a clean inning getting three straight outs, keeping momentum on Marian's side. Caden Jones led off the sixth with a double and walks to Rivera and Mason would load the bases, as the Knights attempted to take the lead. With two outs against the visitors, AJ Bordenet was unable to push Marian in the lead with his pop up ending the frame, and in the home half Grace added to their lead driving home three runs against Johnson. 

The 7-2 score stood until the top of the eighth inning when Marian was able to add a run on the board. Kameron Salazar singled to lead the frame, and scored soon after on a triple into left-center field from JJ Rivera. The Knights were unable to string together hits after the triple, with closer Hunter Schumacher striking out the side to end the inning. The Lancers would seal the game in the bottom of the eighth, tagging Nolan Macdonald and Ethan Davis for three runs, extending their lead to 10-3. A double from Jones and single from Salazar would be all Marian managed in their final at bats, unable to add a run as Grace completed the 10-3 win. 

Cottrell had Marian's largest run on the mound throwing 2.1 innings, as the second-year Knight took the loss in his first collegiate start. Offensively the Knights would rack up 12 base hits, getting two hits from Davenport, Hogg, Salazar, Jones, and Rivera. 

GAME 2 | Marian 1-6 Grace

Strong pitching highlighted the early innings in the second game of the day, with Daniel Brenneman and Caleb Davis each retiring the side in order in the first inning. Bryce Davenport recorded the first hit of the game to lead-off the second inning, but a pair of outs on the infield and a flyout stranded a pair of Marian runners. Brenneman worked around a walk in the second to hold the Lancers off the board, and in the home half of the inning Marian plated their first run, as a walk to Trey Heidlage cost Davis. Jackson Hogg singled his teammate in from second base, putting the Knights on top 1-0.

The lead didn't stick long as Grace responded with a run of their own in the home half of the third, turning a lead-off walk into a run as Maximo De Leon doubled to right-center for the RBI. Brenneman got help from his defense as a trick play helped through out De Leon at the plate on a double steal, with Tyler Walkup making the final out of the inning after snaring a line drive at shortstop. 

The Knights had an opportunity to take the lead once again in the fourth as Kameron Salazar recorded a two-out hit and Caden Mason recached on an error, but a groundout closed the frame with two in scoring position. Brenneman did his job on the mound in the fourth keeping the game tied by retiring the side in order, but in the fifth the senior saw his day come to an end as he allowed three singles before giving up a go-ahead grand slam to Jeff Pawlik. Grace went on top 5-1 after the home run to dead center, and ended Brenneman's day as Craig Nixon came on in relief to get the final two outs of the fifth. 

Marian would strand two runners in the sixth inning as they attempted to respond to the grand slam, unable to bring home a run. Grace pushed across one final run in the bottom of the sixth as Sean Gannon hit a home run off of Will Isom, which stodd as the game's final run. The Lancers sealed the 6-1 victory after stranding a Johnny Roeder single in the seventh, closing the doubleheader.

Brenneman suffered the loss in his second consecutive outing, lasting 4.1 innings on the mound while striking out four batters against six base hits. Jackson Hogg was a bright spot in the offense during the game two loss, recording a pair of hits and walking. Four other Knights had a base hit in the loss. 

With Saturday's series finale postponed, the Knights will return to action on March 31, opening a four-game set against Mount Vernon Nazarene at MU Ballpark. 

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