Upland, Ind. - The Marian baseball team earned a win in game one of Thursday afternoon's Crossroads League doubleheader, defeating the 21st-ranked Taylor Trojans 16-6 in seven innings to hand them their first run-rule defeat of the season. Marian came close to taking a second game from the Trojans in the second act, but fell 9-8 in the seventh inning, as they end the day with a split and overall record of 16-24. The Knights are 10-18 overall in CL action.

GAME 1 | Marian 16-6 Taylor | 7 Innings | Home Run Highlights

The Knights came out of the gates slow in the opener of Thursday's doubleheader, making contact twice in a three-up, three-down trip to the plate to start the game, while Justin Johnson was roughed around giving up three hits that put up a pair of Trojan runs. Johnson, who was making his first start of the season, settled in after a two-out walk, and got a ground out to bring his offense back to the plate. 

In the top of the second inning Marian flipped a switch, turning up the heat as JJ Rivera and Bryce Davenport each belted a solo home run to the identical spot in left-center field, tying the game on the frame's first 10 pitches. Johnson limited the Taylor offense in the bottom of the second to just one runner as he settled into the game, and in the top of the third Marian patiently watched pitches, as the Trojan pitching staff walked or hit seven Knights in the frame.

Kameron Salazar led-off the inning with a walk, as Johnny Roeder was walked and Rivera was beamed to load the bases. After Trey Heidlage walked to score the go-ahead run, Davenport dug in, slamming the second pitch of his at-bat over the left field wall for a grand slam. Davenport's bomb gave Marian a 7-2 lead and forced a pitching change, with Marian continuing to see pitches, getting Caden Jones to reach on an error while Dawson Estep walked. Salazar and Roeder would walk for the second time in the inning, setting up Dion Wintjes who crushed a double off the top of the center field fence to clear the bases. In total, Marian sent 13 batters to the plate in the top of the third inning, scoring nine runs on two hits to take a commanding 11-2 lead. 

Taylor would answer chip away with a run in both the third and fourth innings as Johnson surrendered two total hits, but the redshirt-freshman was able to get out of each inning relatively clean. Marian tacked on another run in the top of the fifth to move their total to 12 as the small ball strategy allowed Salazar to score on a sacrifice fly from Rivera. The run proved crucial in keeping the lead, as the Trojans challenged the Knights southpaw in the bottom of the inning, getting a pair of hits and two free passes that scored two runs. After allowing an RBI hit to Sam Gladd, Johnson was able to recover and strand two runners, getting Camden Knepp to strike out looking at the close of the fifth.

Leading 12-6, Marian sought out insurance runs to boost the bullpen for the closing innings. In the top of the sixth, the Knights found their fourth homerun of the game, as Caden Jones blasted a 2-0 fastball to dead center, hammering in Marian's 13th run of the game. Marian would leave two runners on to end the sixth inning, but in the seventh went to the long ball two more times, as Max Steffen blasted a lead-off solo shot to right-center, while Davenport trotted the bases for the third time as the first baseman crushed a two-run homer to left field. 

Davenport's third home run of the game gave the Knights a commanding 16-6 lead, setting up a run-rule win in the bottom of the seventh inning. Reliever Seth Risley picked up for Johnson in the sixth inning, and after throwing a perfect three-up, three-down frame in his first inning of work, Risley made things interesting as he walked the bases loaded. With Taylor threatening to extend the game, the second-year Knight wound back and found a game-ending strikeout, leaving Knepp looking at the final pitch of the game to close the 16-6 victory.

Marian finished with 13 hits in game one to Taylor's seven, with Marian hitting a whopping six home runs in the opening game. Davenport led all Marian players with a 4-5 game hitting three of the team's six homers, totaling seven RBI. Rivera and Estep would finish with two hits in the win, and Steffen's home run was his lone hit of the game. Johnson earned the win in his first start of the season, throwing five innings while allowing seven hits and six runs. Risley tossed two scoreless innings, striking out three to match three runners put on base.

GAME 2 | Marian 8-9 Taylor

In the second game of the day Marian didn't take long to drive a run on the board, as a lead-off double from Salazar on the third pitch of the game turned into a run on Dion Wintjes' RBI single. The Knights were unable to clean the base path as they left two men on, and in the bottom of the first inning a pair of base hits from Taylor against starter Chris Adams turned into a pair of runs, with the home team pushing in front 2-1. 

Marian would strand a runner in the second inning while Adams faced the minimum after allowing a one-out walk, keeping the score a one-run game until the top of the third inning. In the third, Jackson Hogg collected a lead-off double to start a charge, with Wintjes following up with a single of his own to put runner's on the corners. JJ Rivera plated the tying run as he doubled into left field, while Trey Heidlage followed with an RBI groundout, pushing Marian on top 3-2. The score held going into the bottom of the fourth as Adams faced the minimum once again in the third as his infield turned a double play. In the fourth the Marian pitcher was not as lucky after hitting the lead-off batter, with a wild pitch on a strikeout giving Taylor additional life, setting up a tying sacrifice fly.

Adams got out of the jam stranding a pair of Trojans with a strikeout, and held the game even at 3-3 through five innings as he faced the minimum with a pair of strikeouts helping his cause. With two innings to play the Knights offense turned it on again, getting a lead runner as Heidlage reached on an error. A stolen base and fly out would move the senior to third base, and with two outs Rylan Huntley delivered an RBI single to give Marian the lead. Dawson Estep followed with an RBI double to the center field fence three pitches later, jumping Marian in front 5-3. In the home half Adams got off to a poor start by hitting Kade Vander Molen, and after picking up the first out on a swinging punchout, the second-year man lost a eight-pitch battle to Sam Gladd, who belted a home run to right center field to tie the game. Adams would finish the inning by striking out the side, sending the game to the seventh tied 5-5.

Marian continued to stay hot at the plate despite the game reverting back to a tie, getting a lead single from Rivera while Heidlage was able to reach on his sacrifice bunt attempt thanks to an infield error. Two batters later Caden Jones delivered an RBI single to reclaim the lead, while Huntley followed with his second RBI hit of the game. A Salazar single gave Marian an 8-5 lead before the inning's close, as the four hits put the Knights on top. 

Joe Nelan was tasked with getting the save in the bottom half of the inning, and after walking the lead man was able to get a pair of quick fly outs to Caden Mason in center field. Nelan was unable to get the final out however despite the strong start, as Vander Molen and Mason David hit back to back doubles, bringing Taylor within a run. Gladd smacked a 2-1 pitch off the Marian southpaw into left field to tie the game at 8-8, and after Nelan allowed a single to Ben Kalbaugh, Taylor's pinch-hitter Brennan Frickel found a gap to deliver a walk-off single, ending Marian's upset opportunity in a 9-8 contest.

Despite the loss, the Knights had success at the plate recording 12 hits and scoring eight runs, with Huntley, Rivera, Wintjes, Salazar, and Hogg each picking up two hits. Adams allowed just three hits that scored five Taylor runs over six innings of work, striking out nine batters in his no-decision. Nelan would suffer the loss, allowing five hits in his two-thirds of an inning. 

Marian will end their series with Taylor on Saturday afternoon, starting the twin bill at 1 p.m.

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