INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian University baseball team swept through its second series of the season in dominating fashion at Goshen College on Saturday afternoon. After two wins on Thursday at home, the Knights pounded out a combined 36 hits in 18-2 and 21-9 five-inning victories on the road.

The Knights improved to 16-14 on the season and are now 9-3 in Mid-Central College Conference play. The Knights are 9-1 in their last 10 games, all in conference play.

Scoring early and often was the name of game in the opener as the Knights dropped four runs in the first inning and four more in the second before knocking in six runs in the third to jump out to a 14-0 lead. Senior Tony Goodpaster got the scoring started with an RBI-double in the top of the first before junior Cory Emmons ripped an RBI-single and junior Jake Mullis hammered a two-run double to stake MU a 4-0 lead after an inning.

They added to it in the second as junior Bobby Willis hammered a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall for his fourth homerun of the season. Junior Todd Ungru followed four batters later with a three-run bomb over the right field wall to give MU an 8-0 lead after two innings of play.

The backbreaking inning came in the third as the Knights posted six more runs to take a 14-0 lead. Goodpaster ripped a two-run single, sophomore Jared Mills hammered his first homerun of the season, a two-run shot, and Ungru hit an RBI-double. Sophomore Evan Schludecker hit an RBI-single to close out the scoring and put the game out of reach. It was just a matter of time for the Knights.

A homerun in the bottom of the third cut the lead to 14-2, but a four-run fifth inning gave the Knights the 18-2 lead. An RBI-double by Willis, a two-run double by Goodpaster and an RBI-single by freshman pinch-hitter Chad Schumann staked senior lefthander Ricky Parrish a commanding lead that he did not let slip.

He closed out the complete game victory in which he allowed two runs on six hits and struck out five to improve to 4-2 on the season. It was Parrish's team-leading fifth complete game of the campaign.

Goodpaster led the Knights with a career game after he went 5-for-5 with three doubles, four runs scored and a career-high five RBI. Every Marian starter had a hit in game one. Willis went 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Ungru finished 2-for-3 with four RBI. Junior Austin Gibson and Schludecker each added two hits for the Knights.

Game two was more of the same as the Knights opened the floodgates early and never lost control en route to a 21-9 five-inning drubbing.

The Knights posted six runs in the top of the first as the power really came out to open the game. Emmons and Ungru went back-to-back in the top half. Emmons' shot was a three-run homer, while Ungru's blast was a solo shot and his sixth of the campaign. Schludecker had an RBI-single and freshman Brett Metcalf drove in a run as the Knights opened a quick 6-0 lead.

This time, however, Goshen fought back with three in the bottom of the second and one more in the bottom of the third to make it a 6-4 game. The Knights closed out a huge day with an eight-run fourth and a seven-run fifth to put the Maple Leafs away.

A two-run single by Gibson, an RBI-double by freshman Dustin Hileman, and an RBI-single by Schludecker were the first four runs of the inning. The last four came on one swing of the bat as Willis hammered the first pitch of his at-bat over the left field wall for a grand slam. It was the fifth of the season for Willis and the first slam of his career. The Knights had a 14-4 lead heading into the bottom half when Goshen posted a single run to cut it to 14-5.

The seven-run fifth was highlighted by a two-run double off the bat of Emmons and RBI-singles by Schludecker and Mills as the other runs were scored off bases-loaded walks or errors. The Knights had a 21-5 lead and looked to close it out, but the Maple Leafs would not go easy.

They posted four runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it interesting, but senior Patrick Midla settled down and finished the 21-9 victory.

Midla improved to 2-4 on the season after he scattered 11 hits and struck out five in his fourth complete game of the campaign.

Emmons had a career afternoon as he went 4-for-4 with his first homerun of the season and a career-high five RBI. Mills finished 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Schludecker went 3-for-5 with three RBI. Willis finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a grand slam and four RBI.

The Knights will head back to Marian University Baseball Field on Sunday when they play host to the University of St. Francis (Ill.) Fighting Saints in a non-conference doubleheader. The twin bill is slated for a 12 noon start with the games airing LIVE at www.muknights.com.