FORT WAYNE, Ind. - On Friday afternoon the University of Saint Francis Cougars (24-22; 13-17 Crossroads) traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana to begin a four-game series with the Marian University Knights (23-21; 15-15 Crossroads) but lost a couple tough games by scores of 6-5 and 5-1.

In the opening game, sophomore pitcher Hunter Frost started on the mound for the Cougars and retired the side in order in the first. Then in the top of the second the Cougars took the early lead when center fielder Collin Landrum singled up the middle to score third baseman Kaden Sullivan with two outs to take the 1-0 lead.

However the Knights answered back in their half of the inning with a two-out RBI-single to right to tie the game. 

A solo home run in the bottom of the fourth then put the Knights ahead 2-1, but right fielder Xavier Nolan tied it right back up in the fifth. But another solo home run continued the seesaw battle in the bottom of the fifth, and then the Knights added a couple more in the sixth to extend their lead to 5-2 driving Frost from the game after allowing five runs on 10 hits in five and a third innings pitched.

But the Cougars kept battling and went back to work in the top of the seventh. Four hits and a sacrifice fly plated a couple runs to pull Saint Francis back to within a run at 5-4, but a wild pitch plated an insurance run for Marian in the bottom of the eighth, and the Cougars went to the ninth down 6-4.

Then with two outs and a runner on, a single and walk loaded the bases, and a fielding error by the Knights plated a run for the Cougars and put the go-ahead run in scoring position, but Sullivan flew out to left as the Cougars fell just short losing the opener 6-5.

In the second game, it was freshman Deron Swanson who started for the Cougars but ran into immediate trouble in the first. He walked the bases loaded to open the game, and then an RBI-groundout and bases-loaded walk gave the Knights a 2-0 lead.

A couple more runs scored for Marian in the bottom of the second when a throwing error hindered the Cougars even more now trailing 4-0. Swanson was finished in the fourth inning after surrendering consecutive hits with one out and then a sacrifice fly made it 5-0 Marian. 

Offensively, the Cougars were not able to manufacutre anything but a sacrifice fly in the sixth as they dropped the first two to open against Marian. 

The Cougars and Knights will wrap up their four-game series Saturday afternoon with another doubleheader in Indianapolis beginning at 1:00 pm.