Cochran, Ga. - The Marian baseball team began a new era on Friday, as the Knights split their season opening doubleheader at Middle Georgia State, collecting a game one win under first year head coach Todd Miller. The win is the first in Miller's collegiate head coaching career, as he leads the Knights to a 1-1 start on their campaign.

GAME 1 | Marian 12-3 Middle Georgia State
The Knights wasted little time beginning their season, as fireworks were flying early and often as the guests made their first trips to plate. A Kameron Salazar walk led off the first frame, and after a Dawson Estep double the senior infielder scored on a wild pitch. Seth Hogg roped an RBI single to knock in Estep, and Cole McManus completed a four-run first inning with a deep shot to right field, recording his first home run as a Knight. Hogg added to his RBI total in the second inning after the 4-0 start, delivering a three-run, one-out home run to dead center, piling on the runs in the 7-0 start.

Marian's start on offense was matched by a near perfect start for Davis Enfield (1-0), who quickly worked through the first inning of the game while in the second the senior recorded a pair of strikeouts to strand three Middle Georgia State runners. Enfield returned to his first inning form in the third with a three-up, three-down frame, and in the top half of the fourth gained additional run support as a Josh Lamb two-RBI single highlighted a four-run inning. Holding a comfortable 11-0 lead at the midway point, Enfield pitched strong in his final two innings, as he scattered a pair of singles in the fourth and fifth innings to hold his shutout run. 

Seth Hogg scored the 12th run of the game for the Knights in the top of the fifth to cap Marian's scoring, racing home on a sacrifice fly delivered by Lamb. Marian put runners on in the sixth inning but left the bases loaded as the guests began to tap into the bench. Carter King came on to pitch in relief of Enfield in the sixth inning, retiring the side and stranding an inherited base hit in his first varsity level appearance in his career. Caden Bradley worked the seventh and final inning in the game, allowing a pair of hits and three runs before ending the contest with Marian victorious by a 12-3 final score. 

Jacob Dill led the Knights at the plate with three of the team's 11 base hits, while McManus, Hogg, and Lamb each had two base hits. Hogg scored four of the 12 runs, while Estep scored three times going 1-4 on the game. The first baseman also had four RBI, while Lamb drove in three runs and McNanus plated two. Enfield recorded the win over five quality innings, striking out five batters while allowing six hits and one walk. 

GAME 2 | Marian 2-4 Middle Georgia State
The second act of the doubleheader began with a scoreless first inning, as Marian was retired in order while Chris Adams battled through the home half, getting two strikeouts to keep a clean inning after walking three batters in the frame. Freshman Hector Corona would get the scoring started in the second inning as he reached on a two-out double, and scored two pitches later after a pair of wild tosses from the hill allowed the rookie to take the free bases. Adams would hold the 1-0 lead after two innings, notching his third strikeout of the day as he sat down Middle Georgia in order.

Middle Georgia State would break up their scoreless start as a lead-off double against the Marian starter in the bottom of the third helped tie the game, as two wild pitches from Adams allowed the tying run to score. The fourth-year Knight would end the inning with a strikeout, but would not complete the fourth inning as a home run and a single ate up his pitch count for the season opener. Adams exited after 3.2 innings, but would see his last runner stranded on base as Damien Wallace delivered a strikeout to end the fourth inning in his first Marian appearance since the end of the 2023 season.

Marian would reclaim momentum off of Wallace's strikeout in the top of the fifth inning as Johnny Roeder belted a solo home run to tie the game, however the long ball was not enough to keep the inning alive as a single from Elijah Kelly was left on base. Middle Georgia State bounced back in the home side of the fifth inning, drawing a lead-off walk as Seth Hogg entered the game on the mound. Hogg aloowed a single and a second walk to load the bases, eventually pitching his three bases on balls in the inning to bring in the go-ahead run. The sophomore would get out of the inning with a groundout, but saw another run score in the home half of the sixth as two base hits led to Middle Georgia doubling their lead.

The Knights would fail to get a runner beyond second base over the final three innings of the game, as Middle Georgia State shut down the visiting bats. A double play spoiled Cole McManus' lead-off single in the seventh, and in the eighth a walk drawn by Johnny Roeder wasn't enough despite the runner being bunted into scoring position. In their final frame both Zach Bale and Cole McManus drew one-out walks, but a pop up and strikeout did Marian in, as Middle Georgia held their 4-2 victory.

Chris Adams did not factor into the decision, as the starter pitched 3.2 innings with five strikeouts against three walks and hits, allowing two runs on the day. Seth Hogg took the loss on the mound, yielding four hits and two runs in 2.0 innings of relief. Justin Johnson, Damien Wallace, and Dylan Holmes recorded one strikeout each in their relief appearances, with Johnson and Holmes each recording 1.0 complete inning on the hill. 

At the plate, Marian collected five base hits, with Josh Lamb and Hector Corona each doubling in the game. Johnny Roeder had Marian's lone RBI, and drew a pair of walks in addition to hitting his first home run of the season. 

The Knights will look to win the series against Middle Georgia State on Saturday, as first pitch in the finale is slated for 1:00 p.m.

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