Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian baseball team completed their season series against Goshen College on Sunday afternoon, playing as the visiting team with the series concluding play at MU Ballpark. The Knights notched their second consecutive win in the series with a 6-4 game one victory, while unsuccessful in game two as Marian fell 3-2. The doubleheader and series split leaves Marian with an 8-8 overall mark and 2-2 Crossroads League record. 

GAME 1 | Marian 6-4 Goshen

The Knights wasted no time putting runs on the board as the series resumed, driving in three in the top of the first inning. A double for Kameron Salazar on the third pitch of the game started the offense, while a Trey Heidlage single and RBI double from Jackson Hogg brought in the game's first run. Dion Wintjes tagged a sacrifice fly to score the second, and four batters later AJ Bordenet scored the third after getting hit with the bases loaded. 

Damien Wallace followed the offense's lead with the quick start, striking out the side in the bottom of the first inning. The Maple Leafs would strike back in the bottom of the second as they picked up three hits with two outs, scoring two runs off Wallace. The righty got out of the jam with a groundout to his infield to end the second, and then benefited from a double play to get out of the third inning by facing the minimum. Marian held their 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the fourth, as Wallace picked up the first two outs with flyouts to the outfield, however back to back errors prolonged the inning allowing Goshen to score an unearned run.

Tied 3-3 going into the top of the fifth inning, the Knights got a lift from Bryce Davenport, who launched a pitch deep and out of right field, with the home run scoring two runs as Dawson Estep touched home after courtesy running for Dion Wintjes. The home run provided a 5-3 lead, and stood as the lone runs scored in the fifth, sixth, and seventh, as Wallace and Daniel Brenneman kept the Maple Leafs off the board. Goshen managed just two base runners in the span, and in the eighth saw their deficit grow as Wintjes slammed a two-out double to the left field wall, scoring Hogg. 

Brenneman kept Goshen scoreless with a pair of strikeouts in the eighth, however the right-hander allowed a lead-off walk to begin the ninth, ending his outing. Taylor Soper came out of the bullpen to get the save, doing so but not before getting into a jam. The Maple Leafs loaded the bases in the ninth and scored a run on an RBI groundout, but ended the game with the bases loaded as Trent Sillett grounded out to shortstop, closing the 6-4 Knights win. 

Wallace earned the win going six innings on the hill, allowing six hits and three runs in his outing. Both Wallace and Brenneman, who did not allow a hit in two-plus innings, earned four strikeouts. Soper got the save closing in the ninth, facing six batters to earn his second save of the season. At the plate both Hogg and Rylan Huntley led Marian with two hits each, while Wintjes and Davenport each had a pair of RBI.

GAME 2 | Marian 2-3 Goshen

Like the first game, the Knights drew blood in the top of the first inning as Heidlage drew a walk, scoring a few batters later on an RBI single from Davenport. Marian's lead would be tarnished in the bottom of the first inning as an throwing error on Preston Anderson's swinging bunt put the outfielder in scoring position. Anderson would tie the game on a sacrifice fly hit off game two starter Craig Nixon, who got out of the first inning allowing just one Goshen run.

Goshen took their first lead since game two of the series in the bottom of the second inning, getting two doubles off Nixon that scored their second run. After allowing the pair of two-base hits, Nixon threw solid, striking out the side in the second, while stranding a hit in the third inning. Marian got the run back for Nixon to tie the game in the top of the fourth, as JJ Rivera and Rylan Huntley delivered back to back singles, with both moving to scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. A bloop single from Caden Mason would bring in Rivera to tie the game, but that would be all the damage Marian would manage as they stranded two runners in scoring position.

The game held it's tie at 2-2 as Nixon got out of his bases loaded jam with a double play in the bottom of the fourth, but in the fifth the senior took an exit after recording one out, leaving two walks on base for Jace Stoops. Stoops walked his first victim, and got the second out on a fly out to left field, allowing Goshen to score the go-ahead run. Stoops ended with a strikeout and pitched a strong solid sixth inning stranding two runners to keep his team in the game, but the Knights were unable to manage a baserunner in their final six outs, ending the series in a 3-2 defeat.

Five different Knights had a hit in the one-run loss, with Davenport and Mason recording the lone RBI for Marian. Nixon took the loss on the mound going 4.1 innings, allowing three runs with two earned. Nixon struckout four batters, and Stoops recorded one strikeout in his 1.2 innings of relief. 

The Knights are scheduled to continue their home stand on Friday, March 10 as they begin a four-game series against Indiana Wesleyan. Weather is forecasted for the weekend series, fans are encouraged to stay tuned to @MUKnights on Twitter to follow updates for the series.

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