Marian Baseball Shatters Series and Game Records in Sweep Over Goshen

GOSHEN, Ind. - The Marian baseball team set multiple records on Monday afternoon in the team's sweep of Goshen College, completing a four-game sweep of the Maple Leafs by shattering five single-game marks, four series records, and one NAIA team game record in their 12-5 and 43-3 victories. Marian also tied the program's single-season team home run record, having won eight consecutive games as they completed the sweep. The Knights begin Crossroads League play 8-0 for the first time in program history, while moving to a 13-3 overall record.

Game One | Marian 12-5 Goshen
The third game of the series would be the closest of the four contests in terms of score margin, but would be the sloppiest as the two teams combined for eight defensive errors. The first of which was charged against Goshen, as Landon Sarkey scored the first run of the contest in the top of the first after River Pecina reached base on an error. The miscue gave the Knights an early 1-0 lead, which would be enough for Eli Loichinger to work, as the sophomore allowed one base runner in his first three innings of scoreless play. 

Marian added to the lead in the fourth inning as Ty Jarvis roped a double to center field, and two batters later, his courtesy runner Judah Hennessy would touch the plate on a wild pitch. Nathan Pinarski kept the frame going as he was hit by a pitch, coming around to score after stealing second and taking two bags on Brayden Coffey's RBI single. Goshen would retaliate in the ensuing half inning as Fernando Santana hit a two-out, two-run home run off Loichinger, cutting the score to one as the Knights led 3-2. 

Loichinger would bounce back with a scoreless fifth inning, striking out a pair, setting up the offense, which attacked the Maple Leafs as the home team turned to its bullpen. A lead-off walk drawn by Pinarski would help Marian flood the base paths, as another walk and error loaded the bags for River Pecina, with the freshman coming up with a two-RBI double. Ty Jarvis finished the inning's damage with a two RBI base hit of his own, pushing the Knights to a 7-2 lead. Loichinger then finished his outing with a hitless sixth inning, carrying the five-run edge into the seventh.

A lead-off double for Will Johnson helped Marian plate one run in the seventh inning, which matched Goshen's score in the next half inning as they plated an unearned run off reliever Brady Armstrong. Marian answered Goshen in the top of the eighth inning, scoring four more runs to cap their attack in game one. Pecina scored on a wild pitch for the first of the three runs, and Calvin Miller, Will Johnson, and Nathan Pinarski each followed with an RBI base hit. Miller's knock was a double and Pinarski's a triple, extending the lead to nine at 12-3. Goshen would scratch two runs back in the eighth inning, but Armstrong closed the door in the ninth, striking out three batters to complete a 12-5 win. 

Loichinger (3-1, 2-0) picked up the win, pitching a weekend-high six innings of the Marian starters, allowing two hits and two runs in his outing. The sophomore logged eight strikeouts, tossing just under 100 pitches. Armstrong recorded his first collegiate save in the win, striking out five over three innings of relief.

The Knights had 12 hits in the win, getting three each from Pecina and Jarvis. Johnson had two hits as he made his first collegiate start, and Pinarski reached base safely in each of his five plate appearances, going 1-1 with his triple and three walks, and one hit by pitch. 

Game Two | Marian 43-3 Goshen
The Knights saved their best for last in the series finale, putting up two or more runs in each of the seven innings of game four. The game opened with Brayden Coffey tattooing the first pitch of the contest to left-center for a lead-off solo home run, while later in the first inning, Johnny Roeder belted a grand slam as part of a seven-run frame. After Seth Hogg pitched a scoreless first frame on 14 pitches, the Knights matched the pitch count in the second, bringing home 14 more runs to take a whopping 21-0 lead.

Aiden Kerr recorded the first RBI hit in the inning with his single, while Coffey went on to launch his second home run of the game, this time of the three-run variety. Johnny Roeder delivered a damaging two-run double, and Tate Bender followed with a two-RBI triple. Coffey would pick up another RBI hit in the inning with a double to left, and Landon Sarkey finished the one-sided inning with an RBI single to left. 

The scoring would not exceed seven in a single frame for the remainder of the game, but Marian continued to show plenty of firepower and patience at the plate, scoring three in the third on a River Pecina home run, and RBI groundouts from Johnny Roeder and Nathan Pinarski. An RBI double from Tate Bender sparked a four-run inning, as Roman Utterback would follow with a two-RBI triple, and Coffey plated the sophomore outfielder after reaching on an error, giving the Knights 28 runs after four complete innings.

Marian's starting pitcher, Seth Hogg would exit the game after four near-flawless innings, pitching a shutout as he allowed five runners to reach over four innings, striking out five. 

In the fifth inning, Marian would bring home two more runs, with the first coming on a solo home run from Aiden Kerr. Tate Bender singled in Aidan Holtzapple for the team's 30th run of the game, and in the bottom half inning, Goshen would break its drought, scoring on a wild pitch thrown by Andrew Neff. Isaac Kramer cleaned up the fifth inning and limited Goshen to one run, and in the sixth, the freshman was rewarded with another six runs, with three coming off the bat of Johnny Roeder, as the outfielder homered to left. 

Kramer allowed two Goshen runs to score in the bottom of the sixth inning, moving the score to 36-3 entering the final inning. The Knights drew a pair of RBI bases-loaded walks in the inning, and Roeder plated another run, this time singling home Judah Hennessy. Tate Bender drove home two more with a single, and after Roeder scored on a wild pitch, Will Johnson finished the game with Marian's 43rd run, delivering the team's 39th RBI as he singled home the freshman Bender. The final RBI hit gave the Knights a commanding 43-3 lead, which would go on to stand as the final score as Kramer pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh to end the contest.

In the game, Marian's bats displayed record-setting numbers, breaking an NAIA single-game record with 39 RBI, a mark that had been previously set by Grand Canyon in a game over Denver in 1988, back when both schools were NAIA institutions. 

Marian also shattered several single-series records, logging a four-game series record of 163 at-bats, 99 runs, 87 RBI, and 78 hits. Marian's 43 runs scored in game four of the series broke the single-game record set one day prior when the team scored 30 in game one, while the 39 RBI broke Marian's single-game record in addition to the NAIA mark. The Knights also had 30 hits in the series finale, a single-game record. The team's 43 runs were two shy of tying the NAIA single-game record, while the 30 hits in game four were three shy of tying the national mark.

Lastly, Marian hit 13 home runs in the series, including six in the finale, bringing their season total to 42, which ties Marian's single-season team home run record previously set in 2024.

Individually, Johnny Roeder had the team's biggest day, going 5-8 with 11 RBI and five runs scored. Roeder doubled and homered twice in the win, with his 11 RBI setting the Marian single-game record and coming two short of the national record. Tate Bender also had a big game, doubling and tripling as he went 6-6 with six RBI and five runs. Coffey homered twice and finished 3-4 with five RBI, and Aiden Kerr enjoyed a 4-5 game at the dish. 

Seth Hogg (3-0, 2-0) needed four innings to pick up the win, pitching four hitless frames. Isaac Kramer pitched 2.2 innings, allowing four hits and two runs in his best relief outing of the season. Kramer struck out a season-best five batters. 

Marian will look to replicate its offense on Tuesday as they host IU-Kokomo in a non-conference nine-inning game. 

MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos and more.