Indianapolis, Ind. - The Marian softball team fell in a doubleheader against Taylor on Saturday Afternoon. After the losses, Marian moves to 19-6 overall on the season and 11-5 in the Crossroads League.

Game 1 | Marian 2-7 Taylor
The Knights struck first with Delaney Rundle grounding out to shortstop and scoring Abbey Hofmann. Mati Hughes was next to strike, singling up the middle and scoring Abby Madere and extending the lead 2-0 over the Trojans.  

After a dry fourth inning for both sides, Taylor was able to decrease Marian's lead with an RBI single into left center. Marian attempted to push back with Madere doubling, followed by Hughes singling into left field. With two on base and two out, the Knights weren't able to cross the plate before the third out was recorded.

The Trojans were quick to strike again with a pair of two-run singles to take the three-run lead in the top of the sixth inning. With bases loaded, Marian attempted to strike again but fell short once more, stranding three runners. Taylor struck one last time with a pair of RBI singles to extend their lead to five. The Knights attempted one last push but fell short against the Trojans' defense, losing game one 7-2. 

Abby Madere and Mati Hughes led the way, going 3-4 from the plate with Hughes recording one RBI. Macy Coan gained the start, pitching 5.2 innings and facing 29 batters. Lexi Smith came in for the final 1.1 innings, facing nine batters in total.

Game 2 | Marian 0-16 Taylor | 5 Innings
Unlike game one, Taylor struck early with a run scored off the throw as well as a double down the left field line to take the two-run lead. Marian pushed back with a single into left field, followed by a fielder's choice, but came up short to the defense in the field. The Trojans extended their lead to 3-0, reaching on an error. The Knights attempted to counter with a single into right field but came up short in the bottom of the second.

Taylor continued to extend their lead, recording six more runs in the top of the third. After having a quick three-up-three down for the Knights, Taylor struck once more with two more runs scored in the top of the fourth, extending the lead to 11. After a dry fourth inning, Taylor struck one final time with five runs scored in the top of the fifth, following up with three straight outs for Marian, taking the 16-0 win over the Knights.

Lily Wendt and Abbey Hofmann led the way, recording the two hits of the game. Alayna Tesnar earned the start, recording one strikeout and facing 21 batters. Katie Lackman came in as relief, facing 11 batters, while Lauren Mayer came in, pitching the final inning, striking out one batter.

Marian looks to bounce back as they go on the road and take on Saint Francis on Tuesday, with game one set for 3 PM. 

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