MONTGOMERY, Ill. - Marian University baseball (9-20, 3-9 NACC) fell to Aurora in a pair of tight NACC games dropping the opener 4-2 and the second game 9-8.

The Spartans jumped on the Sabres early scoring three runs in the first inning before the Sabres trimmed that to lead to 3-1 when freshman Trey Johnson scored on an error in the top of the fourth.  Aurora had an answer in the bottom half, however, as they quickly extended their lead back out to three at 4-1. 

The Sabres would rally late when sophomore Jake Falish singled to bring in senior Tommy Dugandzic in the seventh to cut the lead in half, but the early deficit was too much to overcome as MU fell 4-2.

Johnson was the lone Sabre with multiple hits going 2-3 with a run scored and a walk.  On the mound, sophomore Ty Peccioli was dominant out of the bullpen throwing the final 6.1 innings allowing one unearned run off of two hits, while striking out seven.

The second game of the day saw Aurora jump out to another early lead scoring a pair of runs in the first inning.  The Sabres rallied to tie the game in the third with an RBI single from senior Cole Miklavcic scoring freshman Tommy Miller and a sacrifice fly from Dugandzic scoring senior Tyler Thompson.  The score wouldn't remained tied long, however as Aurora would push across a run in the next half inning and added to their lead with four runs in the fourth. An RBI single from senior Michael Pappas and a two RBI double from Falish cut down the Sabre deficit at 7-5, but another pair of Spartan runs in the bottom of the fifth put the score at 9-5.

Marian chipped away at the lead in the final three innings with Miklavcic scoring off an error in the seventh, Thompson driving in junior Jordan Walker in the eighth, and Miller bringing in sophomore Matt Nordlund with a single in the ninth, but the early deficit was once again too much to overcome in a 9-8 defeat.

Five Sabres had multi-hit games in the loss led by Miklavcic who finished 3-4 with a run scored and a run batted in.  The sophomore duo of Brady Nehring and Jordan Bock closed out the final 3.2 innings scattering four hits and not allowing any runs.

Marian opens the final stretch of the season where the Sabres will play nine of their final 11 games at home opening with a NACC doubleheader against Edgewood tomorrow, Sunday, April 23.

--FightBlueFight--