UPLAND, Ind. - The Marian softball team won its first contest of the season against Taylor on Tuesday night, taking game two of their road doubleheader in Upland by an 8-7 final score. Marian lost game one by an 8-0 final score in five innings, and ended the day with a final record of 28-13 overall and 20-12 in Crossroads League play.

Game One | Marian 0-8 Taylor | 5 Innings
In the opening game of the afternoon, the Knights were no-hit for the first time in 2,534 days, as the Knights came up empty without a base knock in a five-inning game. Marian had a great opportunity to score in the first inning without a base hit as Abbey Hofmann was hit by the first pitch of the game, and Delaney Rundle was walked, but after each outfielder reached scoring position on a wild pitch, Marian came up without a timely hit to score a run. Marian's only other inning with runners on base came in the second, as the Knights loaded the bags with a pair of free passes and a fielder's choice, but a double play and strikeout would leave two runners in scoring position.  

While the offense had woes, the defense found equal pains, as a pair of two-out doubles in the first inning against Lexi Smith helped the Trojans score a pair of runs, while the second inning saw two more hits against Smith bring in a Taylor run. Taylor followed the second inning with a three-run third, scoring off both Alayna Tesnar and Smith to take a 6-0 lead. Tesnar shut down the Trojans in order in the fourth, but in the bottom of the fifth, she was unable to extend the game, giving up four base hits with the latter two scoring the seventh and eighth runs, sealing Marian's fate in five innings.

Lexi Smith (7-5) took the loss in the game, allowing five hits and four runs in two-plus innings of work. Tesnar pitched 2.1 innings, allowing seven hits and four runs. Tesnar had Marian's lone strikeout in the loss. Five Knights reached base without a hit in the contest, seeing Marian get no-hit for the first time since a loss to Baker in the 2019 NAIA Opening Round. 

Game Two | Marian 8-7 Taylor
Marian looked to wash the taste of game one early in the second act of the doubleheader, as Abbey Hofmann quickly reached base with a bunt single. The junior was sacrificed to second and took third on a wild pitch, coming home on a throw from Abby Madere's single. The 1-0 lead didn't stick long for Marian, as three consecutive singles started the home half of the first for Taylor, while a one-out double against Macy Coan scored three runs. A sacrifice fly would bring home another, giving Taylor a 4-1 lead after the first complete inning. 

Taylor would add to its lead in the bottom of the second inning as a double and an error brought in the first of two runs, while a wild pitch from Coan saw the second score in the frame, putting Marian in a deeper hole trailing 6-1. 

The comeback effort for Marian started at the top of the third, as the Knights got one run back on a solo home run from Mati Hughes, cutting the margin to four. The Knights left three runners on base in the third, but rolled the momentum into the fourth inning when Abbey Hofmann and Abbey Madere traded places with doubles, and Lily Wendt brought home Madere on a dropped fly ball, bringing the Knights within two. 

Marian remained in the fight as Coan logged three consecutive scoreless innings in the third through fifth frames, keeping the visitors in a 6-4 game. In the top of the sixth, Marian broke through again, getting a lead-off single from Delaney Rundle to spark a rally. Hughes followed with a base hit of her own, and after a pitching change, Ally Malone delivered an RBI single to give the team their fifth run. Mallorie Beutel followed with a two-RBI double, scoring Malone and Lily Wendt to give the Knights a 7-6 lead. 

Coan protected the lead in the sixth as she scattered a single, and gained another run of support in the seventh inning as Hughes roped an RBI single, scoring Delaney Rundle to make the game an 8-6 contest. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Coan faced early adversity as she allowed a solo home run to Kaylee Larkin and yielded a two-out single, but forced three flyouts to the outfield to strand the tying run and close out Marian's comeback 8-7 win.

The Knights made up for the no-hit loss in game one, putting up 14 base knocks in game two, getting a 3-5 performance from Mati Hughes. Hofmann, Madere, Beutel, and Alyssa Donaldson each had two hits in the win, with Donaldson putting up one of the team's five doubles. Coan (13-3) logged a complete-game win in the outing, allowing 11 hits and six earned runs in the 8-7 win. Coan struck out three batters in her win.

Marian plays its final regular season road games of the season on Wednesday night, traveling to (RV) Indiana Wesleyan for a 5:00 p.m. doubleheader. 

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