FORT WAYNE, Indiana - The Marian College baseball team clinched home field advantage for the MCC Tournament play-in series with a doubleheader split at the University of Saint Francis on Saturday afternoon.
The Knights won game one, 8-7, to clinch the sixth seed for the MCC Tournament, but dropped game two, 5-2, to finish the regular season 21-25 and 10-14 in MCC play.
After surrendering an RBI-single in the bottom of the first, the Knights scored one to tie the game, 1-1, in the top of the third. Senior Kyle Cox (Indianapolis/Butler) brought sophomore Todd Ungru (Madison, Indiana/Shawe Memorial) home on an RBI-sacrifice fly to knot the score.
USF took a two-run lead in the bottom of the fourth, but the Knights responded down 3-1.
A single, a walk, and a hit batter loaded the bases in the top of the fifth and freshman James Storms (Camby, Indiana/Plainfield) was plunked to score the first run of the inning. An RBI-sacrifice fly off the bat of junior Tony Goodpaster (Avon, Indiana/Wabash) tied the score, 3-3. Sophomore Bobby Willis (North Vernon, Indiana/Jennings County) capped the rally with a two-out, two-run single to give the Knights a 5-3 lead.
They added two more in the top of the sixth on an RBI-single by Cox and a run off a wild throw by Ungru to take a 7-3 lead.
However, USF scored four in the bottom of the inning to tie the score, 7-7, and breathing new life into the game. But, freshman Evan Schludecker (Indianapolis/Roncalli) hit an RBI-single to score what proved to be the winning run. The Knights pulled out the 8-7 win and clinched home field for the play-in series.
Schludecker, Ungru, and Willis each led the Knights with two hits while Willis and Cox each knocked home two runs. Freshman Neil Hackett (LaPorte, Indiana/LaPorte) picked up the win in relief after he threw one-and-two-thirds scoreless innings to improve to 5-3 on the season.
The second game was back-and-forth as well, but with less offense. The Knights took a 2-0 lead in the first two innings. Cox ripped an RBI-single and Storms stole home for the first time this season to take a 2-0 lead.
However, the Cougars scored a pair in the bottom of the second to tie the score, 2-2. The Knights were held in check the rest of the way as USF tacked on three more in the sixth to pick up the 5-2 win.
Senior Chad Morris (Whitestown, Indiana/Vermont), Schludecker, and Willis each had two hits to lead the Knights. Sophomore Jake Mullis (Coatesville, Indiana/North Putnam) picked up the loss for the Knights.
Marian College plays host to the No. 7-seeded Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats on Monday afternoon at the Marian College Baseball Field. The Knights will host IWU in a pair of nine-inning games on Monday with the rubber game, a nine-inning affair if necessary, coming on Tuesday.