INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian baseball team split series-opening doubleheader at home on Friday afternoon, rising 8-3 in game one before falling in game two to a 5-3 score. Marian is now 13-12 overall and 8-6 in Crossroads League.

GAME 1 | Marian 8-3 Grace
The Knights got the bats rolling early in the first inning with Rylan Huntley reaching first on a fielder's choice to allow Kameron Salazar to score the first run for the home team. Grace quickly answered with two runs scored off of back to back singles to bring the score 2-1 going into the bottom of the second.

After two scoreless innings for both sides Grace continued to increase their lead with Austin Carr hitting a sacrifice fly into right field to allow John Joyce of the Lancers to score. The Knights quickly answered to claim the lead with Huntley hitting a triple deep into center field after a Josh Lamb single to allow Nathan Pinarski to cross home plate. At the next at bat Bryce Davenport hit a double into center field to allow Huntley to score the tying run to bring the score 3-3 at the end of the fifth inning. 

In the bottom of the sixth Dawson Estep hit a solo bomb past left field to claim the Knights lead over the Lancers. Marian took advantage of hit-by-pitch for Johnny Roeder to allow Davenport to score. Seth Hogg took advantage of the Lancers poor pitching to advance to home on a wild pitch. Elijah Kelly hit a sacrifice fly out to right field to allow Pierson Barns to score another run for the Knights. Estep doubled down the left field line to allow Roeder to cross home plate and secure the win for the Knights. 

Marian had 13 hits in the game with, Salazar having three, Barnes, Roeder, and Estep each having two each. While Lamb, Huntley, Davenport, and Hogg all had one each to tally up the 13 hits. Estep and Huntley also each had two RBI's to add to the seven total. Logan Drook started off the game on the mound pitching five of the nine innings and had 5 strikeouts. Jayson Cottrell took the win pitching the last four innings only giving up one hit and striking out three batters.
 
GAME 2| Marian 3-5 Grace
After a very slow start for both teams in game two Grace got the bats rolling in the top of the third with a back-to-back double and sacrifice fly to score the first three runs of the game to bring the score 3-0 going into the bottom of the third.

After two clean innings for both Marian's Chris Adams and Grace's Evan Etchison with only giving up one hit each. The Knights ignited their push at the lead with Max Steffen doubling into left field to allow Barnes to score the first run of the game for the Knights to bring the score 3-1 going into the sixth inning.

The Lancers continued to increase their lead over the home team with a single up the middle to score two more runs in their favor. Marian continued to push at the Grace lead with Lamb hitting a sacrifice fly into right field to allow Estep to score another run for the Knights to bring the score 3-2 in favor of the Lancers.

In final attempts to rally Steffen reached on an error by the Lancer's short stop to allow for Barnes to score the final run of the game to bring the final score 5-3 to allow Grace the split. 

In game two the Knights tallied up 5 hits with Barns having two of his own and, Davenport, Estep, and Steffen having the other three. Steffen lead the team in RBI's with claiming two of the three and Lamb claiming the other. Adams pitched the complete game striking out five batters in the loss.

The Knights are back in action tomorrow March 23rd for the last two games of the four game series against Grace with first pitch set at 1:00 p.m.

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