Mt. Vernon, Ohio - After dropping game one on Thursday to Mt. Vernon Nazarene, the Marian baseball team rallied behind Chris Adams in game two, as the third-year pitcher tossed a complete game shutout in the Knights second game victory. Marian's conference split against the Cougars moves their CL record to 11-7, as they remain tied for fourth place in the Crossroads League with their 16-13 overall record.

Game 1 | Marian 3-13 Mt. Vernon | 8 Innings
The Knights got off to a slow start offensively in the opening game of the series, as they mustered just one hit at the plate with the Cougars facing the minimum through two complete innings. In the bottom of the second the home team pounced on pitcher Logan Drook, who was able to survive a pair of base hits in the first inning but was not as lucky in the second. Mt. Vernon pieced together four hits and drew four walks against the starting pitcher, scoring five runs in total to take a 5-0 lead after two complete.

Marian started a response in the third innings as Dawson Estep busted a single to the outfield that surged Nathan Pinarski into scoring position, with a sacrifice fly from Kameron Salazar driving in the team's first run. The Knights were unable to keep the rally going as Estep was caught stealing to end the inning, and in the bottom of the third Garrett West came on in relief of Drook, but faced a rocky start as he allowed three hits that scored the Cougars' sixth run of the game. West was able to retire the side and saw his offense get a run back in the fourth as Pierson Barnes delivered an RBI single, making it a 6-2 game. The freshman would pitch a clean fourth inning as he picked up two strikeouts, but in the fifth a walk and pair of erratic throws from the infield allowed Mt. Vernon to reclaim their five-run advantage.

West pitched another flawless inning in the sixth as the Knights kept the contest a 7-2 game, but back to back trips to the plate without getting a runner in scoring position hurt the Knights comeback efforts. The freshman reliever pitched into the seventh inning but saw signs of struggles after recording the first out, as a series of plays allowed the Cougars to score two runs. Hunter Reagan was called on out of the bullpen to limit the damage to two, but struggled with walks, allowing two more runs to score as the inning ended with the Knights trailing 11-2.

In the eighth inning the Knights got a run back from a solo home run off of Dawson Estep's bat, but the offense was unable to keep the momentum going as the game shifted to its final half inning. In the bottom of the frame, Mt. Vernon picked up two hits and had one batter hit by Reagan, as they scored a run with one out away from the inning concluding. Dylan Holmes came on after the 12th run scored, but was unable to pitch Marian into the ninth, as he walked back-to-back batters as the game ended in a 13-3 run-rule defeat.

The Knights had eight hits in the loss, with Rylan Huntley, Estep, and Barnes each recording a pair. Max Steffen and Josh Lamb also had base hits in the game. On the mound Drook suffered the loss as he dropped to 1-2 on the year, allowing six hits and five earned runs. West threw a season-best 4.1 innings, allowing five hits while recording four strikeouts. West and Reagan each allowed three earned runs. 

Game 2 | Marian 8-0 Mt. Vernon
In the second act of the doubleheader, the Knights turned in a strong start in part to the efforts of their starting pitcher Chris Adams, who pitched into a self-inflicted jam with three first inning walks but came out of the inning scoreless. After Adams stranded three runners in the first, the Knights came back with four runs in the top of the second inning, with Johnny Roeder reaching base after getting hit by a pitch. Roeder stole bases into third, and after Jacob Dill walked, a single from Caden Mason pushed in the first run of the day. Dawson Estep drove home two more with his double to right, while Kameron Salazar capped the four-run frame with an RBI single.

The 4-0 lead would be all that Adams needed, as he continued to deliver strong material. The third-year pitcher struck out the side in the second inning after allowing a pair of walks, and in the third pitched a scoreless inning, riding the momentum from Bryce Davenport's two-run home run in the top half. Adams would keep the 6-0 lead in tact after four innings of play, allowing his first hit of the day in the inning but shutting down the Cougars with two more strikeouts.

In the fifth inning Adams gained more support from his offense, with Mason delivering another RBI base hit, this time driving home Roeder with the knock to left field. Mason's hit gave Marian a 7-0 lead, which carried into the sixth inning after two more strikeouts from the righty pitcher stifled the Cougars hitters. Rylan Huntley put the final dent in the board in the top of the sixth inning as he smacked an RBI single to score Salazar, putting the game to an 8-0 lead.

Adams retired the side in order in the sixth inning as his one-hit game continued, and in the seventh inning the ace completed his shutout, stranding a base hit as his 10th strikeout of the game capped the complete game shutout in the 8-0 victory.

The redshirt-sophomore Adams moved to 2-4 on the season with fourth complete game effort of the season, tossing his first career shutout. Adams retired 10 batters via the strikeout, and allowed just two hits, pitching out of jams in multiple innings as he scattered six walks. The shutout is the third thrown by the Marian pitching staff this season.

At the plate Marian again had eight hits, with Mason, Huntley, and Salazar each recording a pair. Davenport, Mason, and Estep each had two RBI, and catcher Jacob Dill drew a pair of walks. Roeder scored two runs in the game, reaching on a walk and hit by pitch. 

The Knights and Cougars will resume their series on Monday, April 1, at 2:00 p.m., with Marian looking to complete their fourth series victory of the Crossroads League season. The series finale was postponed from Saturday due to forecasted weather conditions.

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