INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian University baseball team won its fifth straight game before having its streak snapped in game two of a Mid-Central College Conference doubleheader against Bethel College at Marian University Baseball Field on Tuesday afternoon. The Knights won game one by a 10-5 margin, but fell in a back-and-forth 17-16 extra-inning game in the nightcap.

The Knights' record now stands at 12-14 overall and 5-3 in conference play.

The Knights put on a hitting display in game one as they pounded out 10 hits and scored 10 runs for the fourth time this season.

After the Pilots opened the game with the first run, but the Knights immediately answered with one of their own in the bottom half. Both teams went scoreless in the second before the Knights put three more on the board in the third.

A pair of singles from junior Bobby Willis and senior Tony Goodpaster got the rally started. Sophomore Jared Mills took a 2-2 pitch to the deepest part of the ballpark for a three-run homerun to stake the Knights a 4-1 lead after three innings. They were far from done as senior Ricky Parrish settled down on the hill.

They added two more in the bottom of the fourth as junior Cory Emmons provided the big hit with a two-run double to increase the lead to 6-1 after four. The Pilots got one back in the fifth on an RBI-sacrifice fly, but the Knights answered to keep the five-run lead as Goodpaster ripped an RBI-single up the middle to make the score 7-2 after five innings.

The Knights put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth as junior Todd Ungru hit a towering fly ball down the right field line that looked like it was cruising foul. However, a stiff wind from right to left pushed the ball back into fair territory and guided it over the wall for a three-run bomb to open a 10-2 lead. The homer was Ungru's team-leading fourth of the season.

Bethel got three back in the top of the seventh, but a baserunning error at third ended the ballgame just as the Pilots had started to rally to make the final score 10-5.

Parrish threw his team-leading fourth complete game of the season and improved to 3-2 on the campaign. He scattered seven hits, allowed two earned runs, walked just three and struck out eight.

Goodpaster, Emmons, and junior Austin Gibson each went 2-for-4 in game one. Mills and Ungru each finished with three RBI, while Emmons drove in a pair to lead the Knights.

The Knights' pitching staff struggled in game two as the Pilots posted five runs in the top half of the first inning to take a 5-0 lead. But, the Knights' offense came alive in the bottom half as they answered with four of their own to cut the lead to one at 5-4. An RBI-double off the bat of Mills was followed by an RBI-single by Emmons before junior Austin Gibson came up big with a two-run double to cut the lead to one.

The pitching staff was truly not on its game as Bethel posted two more in the second and four more in the third to take an 11-4 lead into the bottom of the third. Marian answered with a pair as Mills led off the inning with a double and Emmons walked to put two runners on base. Sophomore Evan Schludecker singled through the left side to score both runners and cut the lead to five at 11-6.

Bethel tacked on a pair in the fourth to open a seven-run lead at 13-6, and it looked as if all hope had been lost.

Willis opened the bottom half by reaching on an error before a strikeout and a walk put two runners on with one out. Emmons fouled out to give the Pilots two outs, but a walk to Ungru loaded the bases. Gibson drew the third walk of the inning and scored the first run to cut the lead to 13-7. But, the big hit came from a rarely utilized source.

Facing his brother, Jerrod, who came into the game in relief, freshman Jordan Long was put into a huge pinch-hitting role with the bases loaded and two outs. After running the count full and fouling off a couple of pitches, Long hammered a 3-2 pitch over the right center field wall for a grand slam to cut the lead to 13-11. The homerun was the second hit of Long's career and the first homerun of his career. However, the Knights were not done.

A pair of walks followed the slam and put two runners on with two outs. Willis stepped to the plate and hammered an 0-1 pitch off the scoreboard in left center field for a three-run bomb to bring the Knights all the way back and give them a 14-13 lead. The homer was his third of the season and third of his career.

After holding Bethel in the top of the fifth, an RBI-single by junior Jake Mullis gave the Knights a 15-13 lead heading into the final two innings of the game.

The Pilots answered with an RBI-single in the top of the sixth and Bethel held the Knights in the bottom of the sixth. The Knights still held a one-run lead into the final frame, but the Pilots got an RBI-single to knot the score at 15-15 heading into the bottom of the seventh.

The Knights had a shot to win it in the seventh, but sophomore James Storms' leadoff walk was meaningless as Bethel was able to close the door to send the game to extra innings.

Bethel went quietly in the eighth, and, other than a leadoff single by freshman Brett Metcalf, the Knights also went quietly in the eighth.

The Pilots made some things happen in the top of the ninth as an RBI-sacrifice fly and a wild pitch plated two runs and gave BC a 17-15 lead.

The Knights had one last shot in the bottom half. Storms walked again to open the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. He scored on an RBI-sacrifice fly, but it was the only run they would get as they fell 17-16 in nine innings.

Long led the Knights with the grand slam and four RBI, while Gibson also drove in four runs. Willis drove in three runs, while Schludecker drove in a pair. Mills was the only Knight to finish with multiple hits as he went 2-for-5, scored three runs, and drove in a run.

The Knights remain at the friendly confines of Marian University Baseball Field as Goshen College comes to Indianapolis on Thursday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. and the twin bill will air LIVE at www.muknights.com.