Marian Shatters Single-Game Home Run Record in Opening Day Sweep Over Bryan

Dayton, Tenn. - On a day where the Marian baseball team hit 14 home runs over the duration of its season-opening doubleheader, the Knights picked up two wins on opening day, sweeping a doubleheader against Bryan College. Marian took game one 17-10, hitting nine home runs as a team to set a single-game record, and finished the nightcap with a 19-2 victory, beginning the season 2-0. 

GAME 1 | Marian 17-10 Bryan
The Knights got off to a rapid start in the opening inning on Friday, plating two in the top of the first inning as newcomer Brayden Coffey doubled to open the game, later coming around to score on freshman Landon Sarkey's RBI single. Hector Corona would bring home the rookie to give the Knights a 2-0 lead on a groundout, giving the Knights a crooked number in the first half inning.

In the home half, former reliever-now starter Chris Adams made his return to the mound as the opening day starter, and worked through a pair of first inning woes as he ultimately struck out the side. Facing bases loaded in the first, Adams recorded a strikeout, but freshman catcher Ty Jarvis was unable to squeeze the mitt, allowing a run to score on the passed ball. A double would bring in two more unearned runs, giving the Lions a 3-2 lead.

Marian would not stay in the trail position long, as the offense backed up Adams with two more runs in the second, getting the first on a Landon Sarkey two-RBI double, and another on a Hector Corona RBI groundout, sparking a 5-3 advantage. Adams shrugged off two hits in the home half of the second to put up his first goose egg of the season, and in the third dominated the strike zone, retiring Bryan in order, all on strikes. The game would then jump in favor of Marian in the fourth inning, as the home run-friendly confines of Bryan College aided the Marian bats. 

Brayden Coffey tattooed Marian's first home run of the season as the second man up in the top of the fourth, driving home himself and Nathan Pinarski following his fourth collegiate homer. Three batters later, Marian took its lead to four runs, as Hector Corona slammed a solo blast to deep right field, giving Marian a commanding 8-4 run. The lead would be enough for Adams, as the starter pitched the fourth and fifth innings to near perfection before exiting the game. In the fourth, the fifth-year senior picked up a strikeout on an inning-ending double play, seeing his catcher Jarvis catch a Lion stealing, while in the fifth Adams was able to push through an RBI double, picking up two strikeouts to exit the game with a three-run lead. 

The home run derby would only continue for Marian in the sixth inning, as the Knights launched four total home runs to drive their lead to eight runs. Zach Bale hit a lead-off home run to start the frame, while Calvin Miller, Ty Jarvis, and Nathan Pinarski each went back-to-back-to-back, driving the score to 13-5. The big inning would be more than enough offense, but the team would continue to find more support for the pitching staff, scoring one in the eighth inning and three in the ninth inning. Tate Bender hit a pinch-hit home run for his first collegiate hit in the eighth inning, while in the ninth, it was a two-run blast from Seth Hogg and another solo shot for Hector Corona, putting the final dents on Marian's ledger.

Mitchell Porter would finish the game in relief of Adams, pitching the final four innings of the afternoon. Porter would yield a run in the bottom of the sixth as his defense turned a double play, while allowing a total of four runs over the final two innings, with each score coming on a home run. The fifth-year reliever would end the game strong, striking out the final two batters of the game, locking down Marian's 17-10 season-opening victory.

The home run party stole the show in game one, as the team set a program record with nine home runs in the contest. The nine home runs also set the program record for most hit in the team's season opener. Hector Corona was the offensive star of game one, going 2-5 with two home runs, collecting four RBI. Landon Sarkey had a 3-6 afternoon in his collegiate debut, logging three RBI, and Brayden Coffey finished the day going 2-4 with two RBI, a home run, and three runs scored. Seth Hogg, Ty Jarvis, Nathan Pinarski, and Calvin Miller each had two hits and homered, with Pinarski matching Coffey with a team-best three runs scored. 

On the mound, Chris Adams (1-0) earned the win, returning back to a starting role. The fifth-year senior threw five strong innings, striking out 10 batters while allowing five total runs, two of which were earned. Porter allowed nine hits and five earned runs in his four innings of relief, striking out three. 

GAME 2 | Marian 19-2 Bryan
Game two was another slug fest, as the Marian offense came out on fire in the second game of the day. River Pecina opened the scoring with his first collegiate base hit, slashing an RBI single to score Brayden Coffey. Aiden Kerr logged his first collegiate RBI with a sacrifice fly, while Johnny Roeder closed out the first inning scoring with an RBI single. Marian scored five more runs in the top of the second inning, with Pecina again delivering an RBI single. Corona remained the hot-hitter and launched a three-run home run moments later, while Johnny Roeder logged another base knock, giving the Knights an 8-0 lead going into the bottom of the second.

Evan Cooke made his Marian debut on the mound in game two and pitched three strong innings in his first start with the team. The junior faced four batters in a scoreless first inning, picking up one strikeout, while in the second, he picked up a pair of strikeouts, working out of a self-inflicted jam infested with walks, yielding one run. The offense would pick up the pitcher in the next half inning, repeating the offensive home run magic. Judah Hennessy, Braden Coffey, and River Pecina recorded back-to-back-to-back lead-off home runs in the inning, as the three solo shots drove the lead to 10 runs. Cooke would finish his day with a scoreless third, striking out two while tagging out a runner at the plate on a wild pitch to end the inning. 

Leading 11-1, Marian continued to be aggressive offensively, scoring eight more runs over the final four frames. Hector Corona finished his massive day with a grand slam to right field in the top of the fourth inning, while Seth Hogg roped an RBI triple in the same inning. An error in the fifth inning gave Pecina another RBI as Roman Utterback scored, and Brayden Coffey would cross the plate in the fifth on a wild pitch. Roeder drove in Marian's final run, picking up a bases-loaded walk in the top of the fifth, ending the team scoring at 19 runs for the day.

Brady Armstrong came on to relieve in the fourth inning, and pitched three strong innings of relief. The sophomore gave up an RBI single in the fourth, but recovered with scoreless fifth and sixth innings, picking up a strikeout for four of his final six outs. Cecil Prather made his Marian debut on the mound in the seventh inning, and finished out Marian's win with a pair of strikeouts, polishing Marian's 19-2 victory.

Cooke (1-0) was credited with the win on the mound, totaling five strikeouts against six walks, yielding one run in three innings of hitless baseball. Brady Armstrong totaled six strikeouts in his three innings of relief, and Cecil Prather totaled two punchouts, giving Marian a total of 13 in 21 outs. 

At the plate, Corona shined again, going 3-5 with a pair of home runs and seven RBI. The sophomore finished the day with four total home runs, and drew one walk as well in the win. River Pecina went 3-4 with four RBI and five runs scored in the win, hitting his first collegiate home run, while Brayden Coffey logged his second home run of the season in a team-leading 4-5 outing, scoring five runs. Johnny Roeder had three RBI and two hits in the win. Judah Hennessy's lone hit was a home run, as he matched his previous accomplishments from his former school IU-Kokomo, with his first hit of each of his first three collegiate seasons leaving the park. 

The series between the Knights and Lions concludes on Saturday afternoon, with game three of the weekend beginning at 1:00 p.m.

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