INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian baseball team earned a pair of wins as they opened MU Ballpark for the first time this season, as they swept their Crossroads League opening doubleheader against Goshen College. Marian's 18-11 and 8-5 wins give the team a 2-0 start in Crossroads League play, while improving their overall season record to 7-6. 

GAME 1 | Marian 18-11 Goshen
Game one featured just two scoreless innings, with the pitching from both teams shining early as Logan Drook and Lance Wilson matched each other with scoreless first innings. In the second inning Goshen would get a single and walk to lead the frame, with both runners crossing the plate later in the inning on an errant throw. Drook shook off the runs with three outs in four batters, and got quick support in the home half as a Johnny Roeder base hit provided an extra runner for Pierson Barnes, who tied the game with a towering home run to the scoreboard in left field.

In the third inning Goshen reclaimed the lead, as Drook gave up a lead-off walk and double, with both runners scoring later in the frame after Drook walked in a run. The second-year Knight would strand the bases loaded with a groundout, and got a run back as Nate Pinarski scored in the home half on Bryce Davenport's bases loaded walk. Drook would settle in the fourth with a strong inning, getting a strikeout as part of a four-batter inning to toss his second scoreless frame. Marian trailed 4-3 after four complete innings.

In the fifth, Drook's outing would come to an end, as he allowed four consecutive base hits and a walk that led to two runs scoring. Drook would leave the game as Seth Risley came in to relieve, but reliever would show early struggles as two walks allowed two more runs to score. A double play ended the half inning, and in the bottom of the fifth Risley got two runs back as Pierson Barnes hammered a two-RBI single through the left side. In the sixth Goshen managed to add another run off of Risley, but in the home half Marian secured their first inning win of the day as Rylan Huntley and Johnny Roeder each plated runs with RBI singles.

Trailing 9-7 entering the seventh inning, Marian called on Jayson Cottrell on the mound, who pitched a scoreless inning as a strikeout stranded two batters. In the home half Marian played small ball to help tie the game, as Caden Mason and Dawson Estep both reached on walks. After a sacrifice bunt, a well-hit single from Josh Lamb drove in the team's eighth run, and moved Estep to third who would tie the game at 9-9 after scoring on a wild pitch.

In the eighth inning Marian broke the game open, carrying their momentum from the seventh to the eighth, as a monstrous home run from Pierson Barnes to the scoreboard in left field gave Marian their first lead of the game. Marian's bats kept rolling as Lamb drove in two runs on an RBI base hit, while a grand slam from Bryce Davenport ended the party, capping a nine-run inning to give the Knights a commanding 18-9 lead. Cottrell would finish out the game on the mound, allowing two runs in the ninth with one of them unearned, closing the 18-11 game one win.

The bats for Marian were the stars of game one, with Marian posting 16 hits to score their 18 runs. Barnes led the team in hits and RBI, going 4-6 with seven RBI and his two home runs. Lamb, Huntley, and Roeder each had three hits in the win, with Lamb recording three RBI. Davenport had five RBI and two walks in the win. Marian had nine stolen bases in the win. Cottrell collected the win with three innings of relief on the mound, allowing one hit while throwing a team-best three strikeouts. Drook took a no-decision in the game throwing into the fifth inning, and Risley pitched two innings.

GAME 2 | Marian 8-5 Goshen
Game two started out with a scoreless top of the inning for the Maple Leafs as Chris Adams made a early impact on the game, and in the home half the Knights took charge quickly as Rylan Huntley singled into right-center to score Kameron Salazar to put the home team on the board first in the night cap. In the second inning Dawson Estep doubled up the lead by hitting a deep blast into the right-center alleyway, leaving the ballpark with his second homerun of the season, bringing the score 2-0 in favor of the home team.

In the third inning Goshen got to Adams who had started the game with back-to-back scoreless innings, as they jolted three earned runs of the Marian starter to take a lead going into the bottom half. The Knights quickly answered the call and scored as Bryce Davenport singled into right field allowing Seth Hogg to cross the plate to tie up the game at a 3-3 mark. Pierson Barnes would go on to hit a sacrifice fly into left to score Johnny Roeder before the inning ended, pushing Marian back on top 4-3 entering the fourth.

The Knights kept their momentum up in the fourth inning as Salazar scored the fifth run of the game, swiping third after reaching on a fielder's choice and scoring on a error by the catcher. Marian led 5-3 after Salazar's run, but the lead would shrink in the fifth and sixth innings as Goshen managed a solo home run off of Adams in the fifth while in the sixth an error allowed the game to reach a tied.

In the bottom of the sixth with the game tied 5-5, Marian made a rally cry, scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning. The Knights started the rally with Caden Mason and Estep earning free passes, while a walk to Jacob Dill would load the bases. A sacrifice fly from Huntley pushed in Mason to take the lead, and a two-run single by Hogg would extend the lead to three runs. Adams returned to the mound in the top of the seventh inning with a three-run lead, and recorded a pair of strikeouts while stranding two runners on base in his closing inning, sealing Marian's 8-5 victory as the third-year player pitched his first career game.

Adams first-career complete game gives him his first victory of the year, as he allowed five hits while recording 11 strikeouts in the game. Huntley and Hogg led the team in RBI with two each, while the freshman Hogg also led the team in hits. Estep and Salazar each scored twice in the win.

The Knights will be back in action on Sunday, March 3rd, for a double header against Goshen on the road to finish out the four game series, with first pitch being set at 12:00 p.m.

MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos and more.