MU'S Pecina Delivers Walk-Off Hit in 12-11 Come-From-Behind Win Over No. 24 Huntington

INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian baseball team landed its second top-25 win of the season on Friday afternoon in game one of the team's doubleheader against No. 24 Huntington, coming from behind to walk off the Foresters 12-11 on a River Pecina ground-rule single. Marian would come up one run short in the second game of the twin bill, losing 6-5, snapping the team's decade-best 10-game winning streak. Marian is 15-4 and 9-1 in Crossroads League play following the loss. 

Marian struck first in the opening game of the series, getting a pair of scoreless innings from Chris Adams to set the tone before driving in a run in the bottom of the second. The first run of the game came on an RBI double from Tate Bender, who roped a ball deep in right-center field to score Cole McManus, after the designated hitter led off the inning with a four-pitch walk.

The 1-0 lead would be Marian's only lead of the game until the final inning, as Huntington struck big in the top of the third. Adams, who had already had issues with walks in the first two frames, gave up a pair of free passes to the first two batters he faced before yielding an RBI single to Jace Fowler. After two more walks, Adams faced a bases-loaded jam and did not win the matchup as he allowed a grand slam to Owen Willard, seeing the ball leave the park to make the game a 6-1 score. 

Marian did not wait long to start the comeback, responding in the same tone that Adams did. The Knights' pitcher threw a pair of emphatic strikeouts to get out of the third, and in the home half, River Pecina continued his massive week as he launched a three-run home run, scoring Landon Sarkey and Hector Corona to get back within two. The game would stay scoreless in the fourth after the home run with Adams responding with a clean frame, but in the fifth, the senior was tagged for three runs, allowing three base hits before exiting the game. Adams left one out to get in the fifth inning, which reliever Kaeb Stebbins picked up with an inning-ending strikeout. 

Huntington held its 9-4 edge until the sixth inning, when the Knights were able to claw back with three runs. A double from Tate Bender led off the big inning, with the freshman eventually scoring on Landon Sarkey's fielder's choice that knocked out starter RJ Anglin. Hector Corona quickly attacked reliever Keegan Shovlain with an RBI single, and Sarkey would reach home later in the inning on a failed pickoff attempt, making it a 9-7 contest. 

The Foresters would respond in the top of the seventh and push its lead to four runs again, getting a pair of doubles against Stebbins to take an 11-7 advantage. The game quickly moved to the bottom of the eighth after the pair of Huntington runs, with both Stebbins and Shovlain logging three-up, three-down innings. In the bottom of the eighth, Marian was able to scratch back two runs, as Landon Sarkey homered to right field, bringing the Knights back within a pair of runs after his long ball against new reliever Aidan Micinski. Stebbins would keep the game at two runs, and gave Marian a chance entering the bottom of the ninth, trailing 11-9.

In the final frame, Ty Jarvis got Marian rolling as he was hit by a pitch against closer Dylan Eggl. Jarvis was lifted for his courtesy runner, Judah Hennessy, with the junior rounding to third on a pair of wild pitches. Tate Bender walked behind Jarvis to give Marian two aboard, and Nathan Pinarski followed Bender with an RBI groundout, scoring the courtesy. The inning continued as Brayden Coffey and Landon Sarkey earned free passes from the wild closer Eggl, and Hector Corona would level the game as he ripped an RBI fielder's choice into left field, making it an 11-11 game with two outs. Down to the final out, River Pecina roped a 2-2 fast ball into deep center field, clearing the fence on the hop as his ground-rule single drove home Sarkey from second base, giving Marian a walk-off 12-11 victory. 

Pecina was the hero of game one, going 4-6 with a home run and four RBI, hitting his first career walk-off. Landon Sarkey went 3-5 in the win and scored four times, driving in three runs with his home run. Tate Bender and Brayden Coffey each had two-hit games, with both of Bender's landing in for doubles.

On the hill, Stebbins (3-0) earned the win in relief, pitching 4.1 innings of two-run ball out of the bullpen. Stebbins struck out three in his second win of the season. Chris Adams took a no-decision, allowing nine runs and six hits. The team's leader in strikeouts finished the game with eight K's on the afternoon. 

Marian and Huntington will resume the series on Saturday afternoon, game one of the day is set for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch. 

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