Oakland City, Ind. - The Marian baseball team fell twice on Sunday, as Oakland City earned a sweep in the series-opening doubleheader. Marian falls to 2-5 on the season after the two losses.
GAME 1 | Marian 2-10 Oakland City
Seth Hogg made his first pitching start of the season in game one on Sunday, and started his outing with a scoreless first inning as he worked around a two-out walk. The Knights left a runner on base in the top of the ensuing inning as the pitcher was left stranded at third after leading off the inning with a walk. The momentum continued to shift to Oakland City, as the Mighty Oaks started their offense in the home half of the second inning by scoring the games first run on a pair of base hits. The home team led 1-0 after the first frame, as Hogg was able to force a double play to end the frame.
Marian again stranded runners in the third inning, and in the bottom of the frame Hogg yielded three runs to fall behind 4-0. The sophomore gave up two walks and two hits in the inning, while an infield error helped the Mighty Oaks efforts in the inning. Hogg would finish his pitching outing after the fourth inning, picking up two pop ups and a ground out while working around a one-out single.
The Knights offense threatened to score in the fifth inning as they looked to get back in the game, but came up short as they left three runner's on base in the inning.
Elijah Kelly and
Cole McManus walked in the inning while
Kameron Salazar poked a single to load the bases, however a shallow pop-up would close the opportunity. Marian would break their zero in the box score in the sixth inning, as they were able to scratch two runs when the Mighty Oaks turned to the bullpen. Hogg walked to open the inning, and reached second on an error to get into scoring position.
Johnny Roeder doubled to score Hogg, and two batters later
Dawson Estep recorded an RBI groundout in a pinch-hit role.
The game moved to the bottom of the sixth inning with Marian trailing 4-2 after the top-half surge, but that would be as close as the score got as the Mighty Oaks solidified their hold on the game.
Chris Adams pitched a scoreless fifth inning in relief, but in the sixth two hit batters, a walk and single would give the home team a run. Adams was able to record the second out in the frame, but failed to get out of the jam allowing two singles and a walk that brought in three runs.
Aidan Bishop came in to end the inning, doing so after giving up an RBI single. Trailing 10-2 after giving up six in the previous inning, Marian was unable to rally, stranding two runners in the top of the seventh to end the game on the losing end.
The Knights were three-hit in the loss, with Salazar, Roeder, and
Hector Corona each recording one.
Cole McManus drew three walks, while Kelly and Hogg were each walked twice. On the mound, Hogg (0-2) took the loss, giving up four runs with one earned in his four innings of work. Adams allowed three hits and six runs in 1.2 innings of work, pitching Marian's only strikeout in the game.
GAME 2 | Marian 3-5 Oakland City
Logan Drook got the starting nod in game two, and pitched strong in his first start since the opening weekend by beginning the outing with a three-up, three-down frame. In the second the Mighty Oaks were able to rough Drook for a run, as a two-out hit by pitch prolonged the frame, with the runner eventually coming home on an RBI single. Drook closed the inning with a comebacker, keeping the game a 1-0 contest.
After putting runners on in each of their first two innings, Marian generated runs in their third trip to the plate, getting a spark from
Callan Gick who led-off with a double to right field.
Kameron Salazar drove the shortstop home with an RBI single, and after a pair of groundouts that advanced the second baseman to third, a wild pitch gave the Knights a lead. The 2-1 advantage would be short-lived though, as in the home half of the third inning Drook again saw two-out trouble, giving up a home run after walking the third batter of the inning. The two-run fence-clearing hit put the Mighty Oaks back on top by a 3-2 count after three complete.
The scoring subsided for both teams after the third inning, as both sides were held scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings. Marian's silence didn't come without a scoring threat, as
Johnny Roeder racked up a single in the fourth and in the fifth Salazar drew a walk, but in both innings the Knights came up empty. Drook recorded two scoreless innings facing the minimum, getting a double play to end his fifth frame of work.
In the sixth Marian managed to tie the game, opening the inning with a two-base error off of
Hector Corona's bat. The freshman moved to third on a strikeout in the dirt, and came in to score the tying run as a throwing error by Oakland City's pitcher allowed
Dawson Estep to reach first safely. The game remained tied at 3-3 entering the bottom of the sixth, but it wouldn't stay even for long as reliever
Davis Enfield was tagged for back to back singles as he opened his outing. A sacrifice fly would score the go-ahead run, and as
Jace Stoops came on to pitch, the Mighty Oaks would score an insurance run on another RBI single.
The late-inning heroics for Oakland City gave them a 5-3 lead entering the seventh inning, where they would shut down Marian's offense one final time. Marian would make things interesting as Gick and
Cole McManus reached base, but a fly out and strikeout left the two men on, ending the game in a defeat.
Gick went 2-3 and scored a run in the loss to lead the team at the plate, as Marian recorded six base hits in the game. Drook did not factor into the decision, pitching five innings of two-hit ball while allowing three runs. Drook retired five batters via the strikeout.
Davis Enfield (1-2) was charged with the loss, allowing two hits and two runs while recording just one out before his outing was ended prematurely.
Marian and Oakland City will finish their series tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch coming at 1:00 p.m. ET.
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