Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian Baseball team earned a pair of wins in the first two games of the Spring Arbor series. After Marian's 6-5 and 15-14 wins they are now 10-11 overall and 5-5 in the Crossroads League.

Game 1 | Marian 6-5 Spring Arbor
After a scoreless first inning between Logan Drook and Kyler Hinken, the Cougars were able to draw first blood on Marian in the top of the second inning as Drook conceded a pair of scores. The second-year Knight gave up a pair of hits in the second, but was able to strand two runners on with a groundout. Marian would go scoreless in their response attempt in the second, but after a scoreless inning from Drook in the third, the Knights found a way to tie the game with a lead-off double from Max Steffen putting an early runner on base. Nate Pinarski pinch-ran for the catch and scored on a ball hit off Dawson Estep's bat, and a sacrifice fly from Pierson Barnes provided a tying run.

The 2-2 draw didn't stick long, as the Cougars answered Marian's two runs with one of their own in the top of the fourth, as a pair of two-out hits drove in the go-ahead run. Spring Arbor roughed up Drook again in the top of the fifth, putting up two hits with one out. A safety squeeze and error against Marian would allow the two runs to score, putting the Knights behind 5-3. Marian responded in the bottom of the fifth to get back into the game, attacking with two outs. A Caden Mason single got the inning started, while two-out power from Kameron Salazar and Pierson Barnes brought in a pair of runs to cut the gap to one run.

Marian trailed 5-4 entering the sixth inning after getting two runs back, and changed arm slots on the mound as Jayson Cottrell came on out of the bullpen. Cottrell pitched a flawless frame in the top of the sixth, and in the bottom became the pitcher of record as the Knights loaded the bases, scoring a run on a groundout from Max Steffen. Cottrell kept the game tied going into the bottom of the seventh as he scattered a walk and two singles with a double play, and in the home half a powerful triple to the right-center gap from Pierson Barnes scored Dawson Estep, pushing Marian ahead 6-5.

The lead stood at 6-5 entering the eighth, and the Knights called on Deacon Spencer to close out the game, who pitched a perfect eighth inning with a 10-pitch frame. In the ninth, the red-shirt freshman kept his composure on the hill, and tossed a pair of strikeouts, including one to end the game to record the save and preserve the 6-5 win.

Barnes highlighted game one for Marian at the dish, going 2-3 with 3 RBI, blasting a double and triple. Five other players had hits in the win, with Estep and Salazar each recording an RBI. Drook pitched five innings allowing five runs with four earned, giving up eight hits. Cottrell recorded his second win of the Crossroads League season, throwing two innings with two hits allowed. Spencer pitched two perfect innings to record his first collegiate save, tossing a team-best three strikeouts.

Game 2 | Marian 15-14 Spring Arbor
Spring Arbor took the early lead in game two with two runs scored in the top of the first. The Knights fired back quickly with Pierson Barnes hitting a two run homer deep to gain two RBI's with Salazar also scoring a run. Josh Lamb followed up with a single to allow Bryce Davenport to score a run for the Knights to bring the score 3-2. Spring Arbor pushed at the Knights lead with a run scored on a wild pitch to make it a tied ballgame going into the bottom of the second.

The Cougars continued to push at the score with a single hit in the third to score the fourth run of the night. Johnny Roeder hit a sacrifice fly into left field to allow Rylan Huntley to score the fourth run for the Knights. Shortly after, Caden Mason grounded out to second which allowed Davenport to score his second run of the game to put the lead back into Marian's hands.

The Knights and the Cougars traded runs in the fourth inning, with Spring Arbor scoring one run on one hit in the top half, while in the bottom half Seth Hogg's sacrifice fly capped two hit inning to put Marian back in front. Spring Arbor then took the lead in the top of the fifth inning, as Jace Stoops came on in relief of Adams allowing the seventh run to cross the plate. 

Trailing 7-6 entering the bottom of the fifth, Marian took over the game getting runners on base early in the inning, scoring two on an error off of Dawson Estep's bat. Another error scored Estep and later in the inning a single from Davenport knocked in another run. Leading 11-7, Marian added four more runs before the inning ended with Roeder, Mason, and Estep contributing to the total. In all Marian led 15-7 after the inning scoring nine runs on five hits. 

Marian would go on to win 15-14, hanging on late against the Cougars rally. Spring Arbor scored two in the sixth inning and five in the top of the seventh, as Marian used Justin Johnson and Deacon Spencer to close the win.

Huntley, Davenport, and Lamb each had three hits in the game, as Marian posted 13 in total in the win. Barnes finished with three RBI hitting a home run in the win. On the mound, Adams took a no-decision striking out seven in his appearance. Stoops was credited with the win, while Spencer earned his second save on the day. 

The Knights will finish their series with Spring Arbor tomorrow, playing game one at 12:00 p.m. from MU Ballpark. 

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