Marion, Ind. - The Marian baseball team suffered two close losses on Monday afternoon in their series finale against No. 14 Indiana Wesleyan, falling 11-9 in game one and 7-5 in game two. The Knights drop to 8-11 overall on the season and 3-5 in Crossroads League play after getting swept.

Game 1 | Marian 9-11 Indiana Wesleyan
Marian didn't wait long to strike in the opening game of the day as a lead-off double from Kameron Salazar touched the plate on an RBI groundout from Rylan Huntley. The Wildcats would match the Knights in the bottom of the first as Aden Burnside yielded a run on an RBI single after hitting the first two batters by a wild pitch. Burnside would end the inning with a groundout, and in the top of the second saw his team go back on top as Pierson Barnes delivered a two-run homerun to provide a 3-1 lead. The Wildcats would get one run back in the bottom of the second, but the southpaw shutdown the inning with a flyout to right.

The Knights were held scoreless in the third inning, and in the bottom of the frame saw the game reach another tie as the starter Burnside allowed a pair of hits with an RBI single leveling the field. Garrett West came on in relief to pitch the final two outs, and after retiring the side, the freshman had a brief lead at his back with a solo shot from Bryce Davenport in the top of the fourth. The good fortune would halt in the bottom of the fourth as West was hit three times for four runs, as a home run and three walks in the inning helped Indiana Wesleyan push ahead 7-4.

In the top of the fifth inning, Marian made a statement response as a lead-off triple from Kameron Salazar woke up the dugout. Huntley doubled in his teammate and Caden Mason to make it a 6-7 game, and Johnny Roeder leveled the score with an RBI double. Davenport took the biggest swing in the inning one batter later, crushing a two-run home run to give Marian a 9-7 advantage. 

With a lead at hand the Knights called on the bullpen once again, with Jayson Cottrell taking the mound. Cottrell made quick work in a perfect home half of the fifth inning, and stranded a walk in a scoreless sixth inning. Cottrell kept his run going as he pitched a hitless seventh inning to protect the 9-7 lead, but in the bottom of the eighth his command slipped, hitting the first batter before allowing a single. Jace Stoops came on in relief to try and preserve the lead, but after a walk a one-out single would score two and tie the game. Stoops would remain in trouble as he allowed two more men on base, seeing an RBI groundout give Indiana Wesleyan the lead.

The Wildcats would add one more to take an 11-9 lead going into the ninth, and despite getting two men on in their final chance to tie or take the lead, a groundout would end the inning, with Marian on the losing end. The Knights finished the game with 13 hits, getting three from Davenport and Huntley each. Barnes and Salazar each finished with two hits in the defeat, as marian totaled seven extra base hits in the contest.

On the mound, Stoops would take the loss as he fell to 0-1 on the season, pitching one inning of relief. Cottrell threw three innings and allowed one hit in 13 batters faced.

Game 2 | Marian 5-7 Indiana Wesleyan
The Knights looked to wash the taste of defeat out of their mouth in the second act, mirroring their start in the first inning as Kameron Salazar scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly sent to left field by Bryce Davenport. Seth Hogg got the start on the mound in the second game, and pitched a scoreless first inning after stranding a pair of runners the freshman put on. Indiana Wesleyan would take advantage of three consecutive singles in the second inning as two runs would score off Hogg to put the home team on top 2-1, but the game soon saw a tie as Dawson Estep ripped a solo home run in the top of the third.

Indiana Wesleyan broke the 2-2 draw in the bottom half of the third inning, as a lead-off triple would be the first of four hits in the inning for the Wildcats, as they scored four runs to take a 6-2 lead. The Knights got two of the four runs back in the fourth inning as a Salazar double scored Max Steffen and a wild pitch allowed Estep to touch the plate. The game would remain a 6-4 score after the fourth inning, as Hogg was able to pitch out of a jam in the home half with a strikeout stranding two men in scoring position.

Hogg allowed a seventh run to score in the bottom of the fifth after Marian was held scoreless in the top half, pushing their deficit to three runs. The score remained 7-4 entering the seventh inning following Deacon Spencer's collegiate debut in which the second-year Knight retired the side in order. Rylan Huntley attempted to spark a rally as he singled and stole second to kick off the inning, and Pierson Barnes delivered an RBI single for the fifth run for the Knights. Johnny Roeder would touch first after getting hit by a pitch, but with two men on Marian was unable to get any additional runs, as two strikeouts would end the game in a 7-5 defeat.

Hogg suffered the loss pitching five innings, allowing nine hits and seven runs. Spencer faced three batters in his lone inning, picking up his first career strikeout. At the plate, Huntley and Salazar led the way with two hits each, and Davenport and Donavan Shpeherd each had a sacrifice attempt.

Marian is scheduled to host Spring Arbor on Friday, March 15 at 1:00 p.m. from MU Ballpark.

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