SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (SabreAthletics.com) – The Marian University baseball team finally opened the Northern Athletics Conference schedule and settled for a doubleheader split against host Dominican University after winning game one, 8-1, behind a solid pitching performance from junior Sam Forkert, this afternoon, April 6. The Stars took game two, 12-2, in seven innings to earn the split.

Sam Forkert improved to 2-2 on the year with a complete-game five-hitter in game one. Will Martin and Chase Eagan led the offensive attack with three hits on the day, including two each in the game one win. Also in that win, Ryan Seifert and Chad Langley recorded two RBIs apiece.

Marian improved to 7-5 overall, 1-1 in the NAC with the split, while Dominican moved to 7-14 (2-4 NAC).

In game one, the Sabres led from start to finish, scoring twice in the second inning to break the scoreless tie. Eagan led off the inning with an infield single, followed by a double to right-center by Martin. A pair of RBI hits for Seifert and Ty Gellinger then got Marian on the board.

The Sabres added two more in the eighth to create some separation and broke the game wide open with four runs in the ninth.

Meanwhile, Forkert cruised to his second win of the year, going all nine innings and allowing just a ninth-inning run on five hits. He struck out six and walked just one in the dominating effort. McCaffrey took the loss, giving up seven runs on nine hits over eight-plus innings of work.

In game two, both teams remained tied at 2-2 until a seven-run seventh for Dominican broke the game open. The Stars added three more in the eighth to make it 12-2 and subsequently end the game sooner than expected.

The Stars took the early edge with a first inning run on Krasny's run-scoring single up the middle. Milne Rojek, who doubled as the Stars' lead-off hitter and starting pitcher, drew a walk and eventually scored on Krasny's single.

Dominican would add an unearned run in the fourth as Marian would make two of its four errors in the game. However, in the top of fifth, the Sabres got both runs back when Adam Ryan and Eagan both tripled. Matt Bromley's sacrifice fly made it 2-1, before Martin's infield single tied the game.

Brett Barger was solid over his first six innings of work, but ran into trouble in the seventh. He ended up taking the loss after allowing four runs (3 earned) on five hits over 6.1 innings pitched. He struck out three and walked two.

His counterpart, Milne Rojek, benefited hugely from the seven-run seventh and picked up the win after going 7.2 innings and giving up just two runs on four hits.

Marian will take the split against Dominican, who qualified for the NAC Tournament a season ago, and meet Rockford tomorrow in the much-anticipated home opener at Herr-Baker Field. The Sabres and Regents will get things going at noon.