Williamsburg, Ky. - The Marian baseball team suffered two losses on Friday afternoon, as the fifth-ranked Cumberlands Patriots took down Marian in twice in their doubleheader. Marian falls to 2-3 on the young season after the pair of games.

Game 1 | Marian 2-17 No. 5 Cumberlands | 7 Innings
The Patriots backed their top-five NAIA ranking against Marian, sending home three runs in the third inning and another six in the fourth to put the Knights in an early hole in the game. Davis Enfield was charged with two earned runs in the first inning as an error helped bring in a Patriot runner, but threw a strong second frame with a pair of strikeouts. Enfield struck out two more in the third, giving up a solo home run in the inning to fall behind 4-0.

The starter would exit after allowing a one-out walk in the fourth inning, and relieve Logan Drook was unable to pickup his teammate, surrendering a home run against his first batter. Drook would be charged with four more runs before the inning ended, as Jayson Cottrell was called on to end the inning and record the final out.

Marian's offense could not get going in game one, going down in order in the first two innings of play. Hector Corona provided a spark in the top of the third as he was hit by a pitch, eventually reaching third on a Elijah Kelly single and fielder's choice, however a strikeout would end the threat. The Knights left two more men on base in the fifth as they trailed 10-0, and by the completion of the inning the Patriots would tack on two more to their lead.

The Knights plated their lone runs in the game in the top of the sixth inning, with Zach Bale recording his second home run of the season, driving in Cole McManus with the blast. The scoring would come to an end after the inning's conclusion with a two-out double from Corona stranded on base, and in the home half Cumberlands put the finishing touches on the game by charging home five runs on the bullpen. Two more Knights were stranded in the top of the seventh, ending the game in the 17-2 run-rule defeat.

Corona was a bright-spot in the loss, going 2-2 at the plate while reaching base in each of his three plate appearances. Bale drove home both runs in the loss, and McManus went 1-3 at the plate with a walk. Enfield (1-1) was charged the loss in the game, yielding four earned runs and five total on four hits. The senior would lead the team with five strikeouts. 

Game 2 | Marian 3-8 No. 5 Cumberlands
The Knights pounced first in game two, aiming to wash the loss from their mouth's as a Johnny Roeder RBI single in the top of the second drove in the first score. The lead was backed early by starter Chris Adams, as the fourth-year Knight pitched a scoreless first inning as he worked around two runners reaching base, and the second inning concluded with his third strikeout of the day. 

Marian held their lead through three complete innings as the Patriots left two runners on base in the home half, but in the fourth Adams began to lose his command as a lead-off single charged a Cumberlands rally. Two walks and a hit batter plated the Patriots first run of the game, while a three-run, one-out triple from Christian Thompson drove home three more to end Adams' afternoon. Cumberlands would tack on one more run against reliever Seth Hogg before the inning's conclusion, building a 5-1 lead.

In the fifth inning the Knights chopped back at their deficit, scoring two runs on a Kameron Salazar single to center field. Johnny Roeder and Callum Gick scored on the RBI hit, putting Marian within two runs. Dawson Estep would single and Zach Bale followed with a walk, however a strikeout ended the inning with Marian leaving the bases loaded in a 5-3 deficit.

A solo home run in the bottom of the fifth would extend the Patriot lead, while a run scored in both the seventh and eighth innings would seal Marian's fate as Cumberlands took an 8-3 advantage. Marian was retired in order in innings six through eight, but made one final rally in the ninth, as Josh Lamb and Elijah Kelly reached base with two outs, but a strikeout would end the game, sealing the contest. 

Marian had seven base hits in the loss, with Roeder poking two singles in the game. Jacob Dill had Marian's lone extra base hit with his fifth inning double. Adams (0-1) lasted 3.1 innings and recorded four strikeouts, allowing three hits and five runs in the loss. Seth Hogg allowed one run and four hits in 2.2 innings of relief, and Damien Wallace and Eli Loichinger would surrender one run each in their inning on the mound.

Marian is scheduled to return to the diamond next weekend against Oakland City University, taking on the Mighty Oaks in a four-game set. The series is currently scheduled to be played on Friday and Saturday in Southern Indiana.

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