INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian baseball team earned a Crossroads League series victory on Tuesday afternoon as they concluded their four-game set against Mt. Vernon Nazarene, taking game two of the day in a mid-week split. Mt. Vernon won the first game 4-0, and after yielding the first four runs in game two, Marian roared back to win 7-4. The Knights stand at 15-23 overall on the season, and 9-17 in conference action.

GAME 1 | Marian 0-4 Mt. Vernon

The opening game had the fastest pace in any contest for Marian this season, as Daniel Brenneman locked himself into a pitcher's dual against Resse Willoughby. Brenneman gave in first against the Cougars as a pair of base hits, along with an error and interference on defense, helped the vistiors score two runs in the first inning, but a groundout would minimize the threat. Brenneman locked in after the rocky start, and despite loading the bases in the second, was able to pitch scoreless second and third innings to strand Cougar base runners. 

The Knights pitcher continued to work quickly, retiring the side in order in both the fourth and fifth innings, while in the sixth stranding a two-out walk at second base with a fly out to hold the score at 2-0. 

While Brenneman was able to hold off the Cougars offense, the Knights were unable to get theirs started, going down in order in four of the first five innings of play. Josh Lamb would record Marian's only hit of the game with a two-out single in the second inning, as Willoughby was able to pitch almost perfectly into the sixth. The Knights would threaten in the sixth inning as a dropped fly ball in center field proved as a two-base error that allowed Kameron Salazar to reach second, but no runs scored as Rylan Huntley flew out to the warning track in the deepest part of MU Ballpark to end the sixth.

In the seventh Brenneman's scoreless streak came to an end as a lead-off walk came in two score with two outs on a Joe Poremsky RBI single, pushing the Cougars lead to 3-0. Brenneman would get out of the inning and turn the ball over to Joe Nelan in the eighth, who stranded three singles on base in his first inning of work. In the ninth inning Marian's southpaw reliever allowed one run to cross, as a sacrifice fly scored Carter LaPata to make it a 4-0 game. Trailing going into their final at-bats, Marian saw just 12 pitches in their last three outs, flying out twice and grounding out to first as Cruz McFadden retired the Knights in order to end the game. 

Lamb's lone hit, along with Salazar's reached base on the dropped fly were the only Knights to touch base off a batted ball. JJ Rivera drew a walk and Dion Wintjes was hit by a pitch to reach base as well. Brenneman suffered his fourth loss with the decision, allowing three hits and six walks as he struckout three batters. Brenneman allowed three runs with Nelan giving up the fourth, as Marian's reliever allowed five hits in his two innings of work.

GAME 2 | Marian 7-4 Mt. Vernon

Unlike the pitcher's battle that opened the day, the offenses highlighted game two Mt. Vernon attacked Jayson Cottrell in the top of the first inning, with the second-year Knights allowing four hits and three walks that helped the Cougars drive in four runs. Cottrell would strikeout the side and strand the bases loaded to end the first inning, and in the home half the offense responded with two outs as Rylan Huntley reached on a walk. A JJ Rivera double would drive in Huntley, and an RBI single from Trey Heidlage in the next at bat scored his teammate, as the Knights closed the first inning trailing 4-2.

Cottrell got stronger as his outing wore on, picking up a strikeout as a lead-off bunt single never moved past first base, and in the third stranding a lead-off base hit. Marian would tack on a run to make it a one-score game in the bottom of the second as Josh Lamb ripped a single, scoring Dawson Estep after the infielder led the base path attack with his one-out hit. Marian's lone frame of the game they would not score in came in the third inning, as Bryce Davenport was stranded at second after hitting a single and taking the next bag on an error.

After Cottrell's third consecutive scoreless inning in the fourth, Marian managed to tie in the bottom of the inning, with Kameron Salazar starting the inning with a single. After a walk to Lamb, Salazar was able to take advantage of an error in the Mt. Vernon defense, as Cooper Crawford misplayed a grounder off of Huntley's bat, scoring from second to tie the game. With the game tied Ethan Davis would come on to pitch out of the bullpen, getting three ground ball outs to keep the score tied at 4-4. 

Following Davis' first inning of work, the Knights were able to take their first lead of the day in the bottom of the fifth, with Bryce Davenport scoring on a two-out double hit by Estep, pushing the score to 5-4. Davis retired the side in order in the top of the sixth as he picked up a pair of strikeouts, and in the bottom half of the inning two more runs scored with two outs, as Heidlage sent home Rivera on an RBI single, and Davenport scored his teammate after he reached third on a stolen base and wild pitch. With the score showing 7-4, coach Todd Bacon entrusted in Davis to close the game, with the freshman delivering as he tossed a perfect seventh, ending the game on a strikeout to close his first collegiate win.

Davis' win out of the bullpen came over three hitless innings of work, as the rookie pitcher allowed one total base runner while striking out three. After his shaky first inning, Cottrell settled in striking out five over four innings, allowing six hits and four runs. At the plate Marian had 11 hits as a team, with Davenport leading the way by going 3-3 with a walk and an RBI. Heidlage, Salazar, and Estep each had two hits, and Rivera led the team with two runs scored. 

The Knights will look to ride the momentum of their win into Thursday's road doubleheader at Taylor, as Marian takes on the Trojans at 3 p.m. to begin their weekend series. 

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