INDIANAPOLIS - For the fifth time this season, the Marian baseball team has locked down a Crossroads League series victory, as the Knights swept their Saturday doubleheader with Bethel University, winning 6-1 and 12-2 in their home victories. Marian won the series against Bethel 3-1 to improve to 22-6 overall against the Crossroads League, while moving to 29-11 overall on the season.

Game One | Marian 6-1 Bethel
Pitching was at its best early on Saturday afternoon, as Seth Hogg began the game with a hitless first inning, while his counterpart from Bethel, Lucas Nowacki, forced a pair of flyouts against the Knights in the home half in a seven-pitch frame. Hogg responded with a two-strikeout second inning as he stranded a base hit, while Nowacki again logged a scoreless frame, retiring three consecutive Knights after hitting Hector Corona.

Hogg was flawless in the third inning, motivating the offense in the home half as Nathan Pinarski sparked the team with his one-out walk. After stealing second, Pinarski came home to score on an RBI single from Brayden Coffey, while Coffey would come home to score moments later on an RBI sacrifice fly from Tate Bender, giving Marian a 2-0 lead. Bethel responded to the runs with one of their own in the fourth inning, getting three hits against Hogg to generate a score. Ty Jarvis caught a runner stealing to end the inning and strand two runners, and in the bottom half of the fourth, Aiden Kerr ripped a double to left field, scoring a run to give Marian back its two-run edge.

The 3-1 lead would be more than enough for Seth Hogg, who only got stronger on the mound as the game wore on. Hogg retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth innings, while in the seventh, the junior overcame a walk and self-inflicted error, making all three outs himself on a bunt play and double play. The offense fed off the double play and brought home three runs in the seventh inning, with Tate Bender charging an RBI single before Zach Bale scored two on his double to left field. The two-RBI double from Bale gave the Knights a 6-1 lead.

Scoring ended after the eighth, as Hogg finished off his outing with a quick three-groundout inning, while in the ninth, Deacon Spencer picked up a strikeout in a scoreless frame, locking down Marian's 6-1 victory in game three of the series.

The junior Hogg (6-2) pitched a gem in the win, allowing four hits and one run while striking out six batters in his 8.0 innings of work. Hogg tossed 90 pitches in the win, facing 29 batters on the day. At the plate, Brayden Coffey and Hector Corona each had two base hits, with Coffey racking up one of the team's three doubles. Aiden Kerr and Zach Bale each doubled, and Tate Bender and Bale had a pair of RBI in the win. 

Game Two | Marian 12-2 Bethel
Marian's offense was dominant early and often in the series finale, scoring in five of the six innings they recorded an at-bat. Marian's first run of the game came in the bottom of the first as Hector Corona hit a sacrifice fly to score Brayden Coffey, while in the second inning, Nathan Pinarski crushed a triple in the right field gap to score Calvin Miller, while the outfielder later came in to score on a passed ball. 

The quick offense gave Eli Loichinger freedom on the mound, as the sophomore looked strong as he mowed down Pilot batters. Loichinger stranded a base hit in the first inning, and in the second, allowed his defense to work as Brayden Coffey made all three outs, turning a double play to end the frame. Bethel would get to the sophomore in the third, however, as four base hits, three of which that came with two outs, roughed the starter for two runs, pulling the Pilots within a score. Loichinger left two Pilots in gear to end the third with a pop-up, and rebounded with a strong fourth inning that saw him record a strikeout and an unassisted putout at first base.

After Marian was held scoreless in the third inning, Nathan Pinarski woke the dugout in the fourth and helped expand the 3-2 lead, opening the inning by drawing a lead-off walk. Pinarski stole second and scored on an RBI single from Brayden Coffey, and Coffey later came in to score on a sacrifice fly from Landon Sarkey. Zach Bale helped produce a run later in the inning with his single that ricocheted into the outfield, scoring Hector Corona to give the team a 6-2 edge.

Loichinger was strong in the fifth inning as he retired the side on strikes, and in the bottom half inning the Knights continued to pound the board, scoring three more runs. Aiden Kerr doubled to start the inning, allowing his courtesy runner Judah Hennessy to later come around to score, while River Pecina later slugged a sacrifice fly to score Nathan Pinarski. A throwing error on the sacrifice fly allowed Brayden Coffey to race home behind Pinarski, expanding the lead to seven runs. The scoring run subsided for Marian after the sixth inning concluded, as the team brought home three more runs on a towering three-run opposite field home run from Calvin Miller, giving the Knights a 12-2 lead.

Marian's starter Loichinger finished his strong outing with a scoreless sixth inning, and in the seventh, Jack Peine rebounded from his outing on Wednesday with a pair of strikeouts, logging a scoreless frame to polish off the 12-2 victory.

Loichinger (7-1) picked up his CL-leading sixth win in Crossroads League play, improving to 6-0 in seven league starts. The starter struck out seven batters and allowed six hits in as many innings of work resulting in two Bethel runs. At the plate, Coffey logged Marian's lone multi-hit game, going 2-2 with two walks and three runs scored. Seven other Knights recorded a base hit, including Calvin Miller who slugged his first home run since February 28. Miller led the team with three RBI. 

Marian plays its penultimate non-conference game on Tuesday afternoon, traveling to IU-Kokomo to begin its final road week of the season. 

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