MARION, Ind. - The Marian baseball team landed a headline-grabbing win in game one of their Friday doubleheader against Indiana Wesleyan, winning 15-1 before stumbling in game two 7-3. Marian holds a 15-14 overall record following Friday's results, while moving to 11-7 in Crossroads League games.
GAME 1 | Marian 15-1 Indiana Wesleyan | 7 INNINGS
The Knights wasted no time pounding the scoreboard on Friday afternoon, as
Zach Bale sparked the Knights with a two-out solo home run in the top of the first inning to grab a quick 1-0 lead.
Seth Hogg produced an RBI triple two batters later to drive in
Cole McManus and what would eventually be the game-winning run, and
Hector Corona finished off the half inning with an RBI single.
The three runs would be all
Davis Enfield needed, as the senior commanded from the mound and made easy work of the Wildcats. The starter stranded a two-out single in the first inning, and picked up two strikeouts in the second as he strayed another two base hits. Enfield pitched his first perfect inning of the game with a one, two, three third inning, and gained more run support in the ensuing half inning as
Kameron Salazar recorded an RBI ground out, and
Johnny Roeder scooted home an a passed ball to push the score to 5-0. Enfield ended the inning with the five-run lead, striking out two in the bottom of the fourth as he tossed another quick three-batter frame.
Seth Hogg continued Marian's offensive efforts in the fifth inning with a one-out single, setting up
Johnny Roeder who was able to drop an RBI single to the outfield, extending the lead to six runs. In the home half of the fifth, Indiana Wesleyan managed to stop Enfield's streak of eight consecutive batters retired, as Nick Wiley hit a solo home run off the senior. Enfield shrugged the long ball with a ground out and strikeout, setting up the Knights in the top of the sixth inning.
Marian broke the game open and sealed any chance of a Wildcat comeback in game one with a five-run sixth inning, filling the bases with three walks.
Seth Hogg hammered a double to left to score two of the three runners, and following a walk to Corona,
Johnny Roeder slugged a two-RBI single through the left side.
Dawson Estep followed with an RBI single of his own, giving Marian an 11-1 lead. After a double play ended the home half of the sixth, Marian tacked on four more in the top of the seventh, scoring one on a balk and three on a towering home run from
Seth Hogg. The three-run home run for Hogg completed the cycle, as he became the first Marian baseball player over the last 15 seasons to do so.
Enfield (5-2) shut down the Wildcats in the bottom of the seventh inning, stranding two runners with a game-ending strikeout to close the complete game win, as the Knights run-ruled Indiana Wesleyan 15-1. Enfield recorded eight strikeouts in the win, allowing just one run and five hits in his first complete game of the season.
Marian had 10 hits at the plate in the win, with four coming from Hogg as he hit for the cycle, doubling, tripling, and homering home six RBI in the game. Bale recorded a home run and scored two runs in his 1-4 game, and
Johnny Roeder plated three in his 3-4 outing.
GAME 2 | Marian 3-7 Indiana Wesleyan
The Knights were unable to replicate their game one offensive output in the second outing, sending five to the plate in the top of the first without producing a run. In the home half,
Logan Drook was roughed up as the starter was unable to keep the Wildcats down, issuing four free passes in the opening frame that helped Indiana Wesleyan score two runs.
Trailing 2-0 after one complete, Marian began to find a rhythm at the plate in the top of the second, getting a double from
Johnny Roeder and RBI single from
Nathan Pinarski to jolt the bats.
Kameron Salazar and
Zach Bale would keep the rally going with RBI base hits of their own, pushing Marian in the lead 3-2. After falling behind by one run, Indiana Wesleyan took over in the ensuing half inning, winning at the plate as roped three consecutive base hits against Drook to reclaim the lead. After falling behind 5-3, the Knights made a call to the bullpen, bringing in
Chris Adams to get the final out of the inning.
Scoring subsided after Adams entered the game, as the fourth-year pitcher limited the chances for the home team. Marian went two innings without producing a base runner, and in the fifth inning a walk drawn by Bale was unable to score as the first baseman was stuck at his position. Adams would surrender two runs in the ensuing half inning, as Indiana Wesleyan took a 7-3 lead.
Marian would muster just three base runners over the final two innings of the game, but were unable to string together a timely hit, ending the game by hitting into a double play, falling 7-3.
As a team, the Knights had four base hits, with doubles from Roeder and Bale highlighting the day at the dish. Drook (1-3) suffered the loss in the game, going 1.2 innings with five runs allowed and four hits yielded. Adams performed well in relief, allowing two runs and four hits in 4.1 innings of work. Adams recorded four strikeouts on the day.
Marian and Indiana Wesleyan will complete their series on Saturday afternoon, starting their doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.
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