Huntington, Ind. - The Marian baseball team fell twice on the final day of the regular season, as Huntington won the series with a pair of wins on Saturday. Marian's two losses drop the overall record to 22-25, while they sit at 17-19 in the Crossroads League. The Knights will be the six-seed in the upcoming Crossroads League Tournament. 

Game 1 | Marian 3-13 Huntington | 7 Innings
Marian wasted no time putting runs on the board in the opening game of the day, as Josh Lamb drew a walk and worked his way around the bases, scoring on a Rylan Huntley RBI single. The Knights led 1-0 as Jace Stoops took the mound for his second start of the season, but it would be the last of the day for Marian as the starter gave up a trifecta of singles which resulted in two runs. Stoops got out of the self-inflicted jam leaving the bases loaded, and settled in the second inning despite giving up a solo home run as the score stood at 3-1 after two complete.

Marian put runners on in the second and third as they tried to rally back, but came up empty in each inning. As Stoops continued his start in the third inning, fatigue sat in the for the traditional reliever, as the Foresters charged three more runs to the board on three hits, expanding their lead to five runs. In the fourth inning the Knights retaliated with a pair of runs, as a Pierson Barnes double started a rally cry as he scored on a fielder's choice hit by Jacob Dill. Caden Mason singled to score Nathan Pinarski, ending the top of the fourth in a 6-3 game.

In the bottom of the fourth inning Huntington matched Marian with two runs, as the Knights bullpen was tested. Mitchell Porter allowed the first men he pitched against to reach base, causing another call to the pen for Aden Burnside. Burnside gave up a single to his first batter, allowing two runs to score in the next at bat on a wild pitch and sacrifice fly, ending the frame in an 8-3 game. Four more runs crossed the plate in the fifth as Burnside loaded the bases with three of the first four batters reaching, as reliever Kayden Cain allowed the scores to take place on a wild pitch and three-run home run.

Huntington led 12-3 after five complete, and after shutting Marian down in order in both the ended the game early, as Justin Johnson yielded two hits in the seventh, with the second being an RBI double to Jordan Malott, ending the contest as a 13-3 score. 

Rylan Huntley had two of the team's six hits, recording an RBI. Jacob Dill and Caden Mason each had an RBI in the defeat. On the mound, Stoops took the loss, giving up six runs and seven hits. Stoops pitched four of the five strikeouts the team recorded. Cain had the second-longest outing with 1.1 innings of work. Burnside pitched one full inning of work, and Porter and Johnson combined to pitch one total inning.

Game 2 | Marian 1-7 Huntington
Huntington took the same aggressive approach in the second act of the doubleheader, scoring in the first inning as a Josh Lamb single was left stranded at third base. Matt Wolff recorded the RBI single off starter Seth Hogg, as the freshman plunked the first two batters of the game before giving up his first hit. In the second inning the rookie pitcher allowed three Huntington hitts, giving up two runs as an error brought in the home team's third run.

Tailing 3-0 in the third the Knights began a comeback as Dawson Estep slammed a lead-off double, scoring two batters later on Josh Lamb's RBI single. Lamb would move into scoring position, but would halt at third base as a fly out ended the offensive run. Hogg worked his first clean inning in the home half as he faced the minimum, and in the fourth continued to keep Marian in the game, limiting the Foresters to one run after giving up a lead-off double.

In the fourth inning Marian came up short of scoring with Johnny Roeder's triple getting held on third, while in the fifth a double play spoiled the promising start after Estep's single. In the home half of the fifth Jordan Malott delivered the final offensive damage in the game, as he took Hogg for a three-run home run, driving the Knights' deficit to six runs. Marian put a runner base in the sixth and seventh, but would come up short of bringing in runs as their runners stalled on the base paths. A double play in the seventh after Donavan Shepherd's walk would end the game, as the Knights fell 7-1.

Lamb and Estep each had a two-hit game in the defeat, with Estep posting a double. Roeder tripled as he went 1-2 in the game. On the mound Hogg took the loss, taking credit for all seven runs after allowing eight hits. Jayson Cottrell pitched a scoreless sixth inning, allowing two men to reach with one base hit going against the pitcher in his six batters faced. 

Marian's two losses lock them into the six-seed in the upcoming Crossroads League Tournament, where they will take on Spring Arbor on Wednesday, May 1. The game will be played at 12:00 p.m. at Taylor University, and is an elimination game as the winner will advance into the double-elimination bracket. 

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