MARION, Indiana - Two seasons ago, the Knights opened the 2007 MCC Tournament with a marathon 16-inning victory and the 2009 MCC Tournament started in the same fashion.

 

The Knights pulled an 11-inning upset of the No. 21-ranked and No. 1-seeded Spring Arbor University Cougars, 9-5, in the opening game of the 2009 Mid-Central College Conference Tournament.

 

Spring Arbor flexed its muscle through the first five innings as the Cougars took a 4-0 lead through five innings and it looked as if they were going to pull away down the stretch. However, the Knights had other ideas.

 

An RBI-single by freshman Jared Mills (Cicero, Indiana/Hamilton Heights) capped a three-run inning that cut the SAU lead to just one, 4-3. An RBI-single in the seventh put the Cougars up, 5-3, but the Knights quickly responded.

 

In the top of the eighth, sophomore Todd Ungru (Madison, Indiana/Shawe Memorial) drew a two-out walk to put a runner on base. Senior Kyle Cox (Indianapolis/Butler) delivered the tying blow with a two-run home run to make the score 5-5 and shift the momentum to the Knights.

 

Junior Ricky Parrish (Avon, Indiana/Avon) held the Cougars in the ninth and 10th innings and gave the Knights a chance to complete the comeback. He threw 10 innings, allowed two earned runs on 13 hits, and struck out five to pick up the victory.

 

An RBI-sacrifice fly by freshman James Storms (Camby, Indiana/Plainfield) put the Knights in front, 6-5, but they were not done. After a run scored on a throwing error, senior Chad Morris (Whitestown, Indiana/Vermont) hit an RBI-double to make the score 8-5. Another run scored on an error to give the Knights the 9-5 lead.

 

Sophomore Jake Mullis (Coatesville, Indiana/North Putnam) came in to pitch the bottom of the 11th inning and slammed the door on the potent Cougars' offense to complete the upset of the top-seeded Cougars.

 

Mills led the Knights after he went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Cox finished the day 2-for-3 with three runs scored, three RBI, and his fourth home run of the season.

 

The sixth-seeded Knights will now head back to Marion, Indiana, on Monday for the second round of the MCC Tournament. Marian College will battle No. 3-seeded Huntington University at 12 noon on Wildcat Field #1.