Oakland City, Ind. - The Marian baseball team led until the final out of Tuesday's non-conference bout against (RV) Oakland City, leading 4-3 until the final out when Oliver Hamilton delivered a game-winning walk-off home run to lift the Mighty Oaks to a 5-4 win. Marian's loss is just the fourth non-conference defeat of the year, as the team drops to 22-9 overall on the season.

Jack Peine got Marian off to a great start, as the sophomore made his second start of the season Tuesday in the non-conference bout. Peine pitched three perfect innings, letting the defense retire the first seven batters of the game before the pitcher got the final two on his own with a pair of swinging strikeouts. 

While Peine delivered strikes, the offense put up a damaging blow in the top of the third inning, as Brayden Coffey and Landon Sarkey scored with two outs on a two-run single smacked into right field by Zach Bale. Bale's hit gave Marian a 2-0 lead, which grew to three runs in the top of the fourth as River Pecina tattooed a home run to center field, sending the first pitch of the frame out of the yard.

Kaeb Stebbins came on in relief in the fourth and cruised through a three-up, three-down inning, while battling through a scoreless fifth inning. Stebbins saw the bases load up with two outs after allowing a pair of singles and a walk, but managed to get out of the inning after winning an 11-pitch at-bat against Mason Simon, forcing a groundout to end the inning. The Knights then gained another run to their total in the top of the sixth inning, as River Pecina hit his second lead-off home run of the game, with the solo shot giving Marian a 4-0 lead.

As the Knights continued to work in the bullpen, Oakland City found ways to generate offense, scoring a run against Brady Armstrong in the sixth inning as a fielder's choice ground out brought home the first Mighty Oaks run. The Mighty Oaks then scored a run in both the seventh and eighth innings off of starting pitchers Evan Cooke and Chris Adams, as each starter spent the afternoon moonlighting as a reliever. Cooke allowed an RBI groundout in the seventh as an unearned run came home to score, while Adams allowed a solo home run to begin his outing in the eighth. Adams would get a strikeout before exiting for Mitchell Porter, who came on and quickly ended the eighth in a 4-3 game after getting two groundouts.

Marian had its best chance to add to the lead in the eighth inning as Pecina doubled and reached third on a passed ball, but consecutive strikeouts would thwart the scoring opportunity. Without picking up insurance runs in the last two innings, Marian turned the game over to closer Aiden Kerr, who began his inning on a rough note, hitting the lead-off. Kerr would rebound with a strikeout and pop up behind the plate to pick up two outs, but with Marian needing one out to close the win, the Mighty Oaks opted for pinch-hitter Oliver Hamilton, who left the yard on the first pitch of his at-bat, sending a two-run home run to left field to walk off Marian 5-4.

Kerr (1-1) suffered his first loss of his young career, along with his first blown save, retiring two batters before the game-ending home run. Peine had Marian's best outing on the mound with three scoreless innings pitched, while Stebbins also pitched two scoreless frames. At the plate, Marian's eight hits came off the bats of Brayden Coffey, River Pecina, and Zach Bale, with Coffey and Pecina each roping three hits. Pecina doubled and homered twice in his outing, while Coffey had one double. Landon Sarkey reached base three times in an 0-2 outing, drawing three walks. 

Marian resumes Crossroads League play this weekend, traveling to Mount Vernon Nazarene on Friday, April 3. 

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