INDIANAPOLIS - With a Mid-Central College Conference Tournament berth on the line, the Marian University baseball team came out and used the long ball to knock off Goshen College 11-5 in the first game of the MCC Tournament Play-in Series on Tuesday at MU Baseball Field. However, the Maple Leafs had a massive inning in game two to secure a 9-7 victory in the nightcap to send the series to a decisive third game on Wednesday.

MU scored early and often in game one to open a 5-0 lead after the first three innings. Junior Todd Ungru got the scoring started with an RBI-double in the first and junior Austin Gibson hit his third homerun of the season, a solo shot, in the second to open a 2-0 lead. Junior Jake Mullis scored on a delayed steal to stake MU a 3-0 lead after two innings. They weren't done. Ungru stepped to the plate in the third and hammered a 2-1 pitch over the right field wall for a two-run home run to stake his teammates a 5-0 lead.

Goshen scored one in the fourth and three in the sixth to cut the game to 5-4, but the Knights responded immediately in the bottom of the sixth. Ungru came through with a bases-loaded and bases-clearing three-run double to give the Knights a 9-4 lead and the opportunity to close out the victory. They added one in each the seventh, an RBI-sacrifice fly by senior Patrick Midla, and the eighth, an RBI-single by senior Tony Goodpaster, to open an 11-4 lead. The Leafs scored one to cut it to 11-5, but that was as close as they were going to get.

Ungru led the Knights after he went 3-for-6 with a homerun, two doubles and six RBI in game one. Junior Bobby Willis went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, while Goodpaster drove in a pair of runs and junior Cory Emmons had a pair of hits.

Sophomore Neil Hackett threw 5.1 innings in which he scattered eight hits, allowed four earned runs and struck out five to improve to 8-2 on the season. JUnior Aaron Wilder picked up his first save of the season with 3.2 innings of three-hit ball in which he allowed just one earned run and struck out seven batters.

The Knights jumped out to an early lead in game two as well. Goshen opened with a run in the top of the first before Ungru doubled home a run and Emmons and Gibson each drove in a run in the bottom half to give MU a 3-1 lead. Ungru added to the lead with an RBI-single in the second to open a 4-1 lead and it looked as if the Knights were in the driver's seat. That is until the top of the fourth.

The Maple Leafs scored seven runs on three hits in the top of the fourth to open an 8-4 lead after three-and-a-half innings of play. MU got one back in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI-single by Emmons, but Goshen took it back in the top of the sixth to take a 9-4 lead.

The Knights answered one more time as Mills ripped an RBI-single in the bottom of the eighth to cut it to 9-5, but it was too little, too late.

Goodpaster finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored, while Ungru was 3-for-4 with two RBI, two doubles and a run scored for the Knights. Emmons and Mills each drove in a pair of runs, while Gibson drove in the Knights' final run.

The two teams will meet in the decisive third game of the MCC Tournament Play-in Series when Goshen returns to MU Baseball Field for an opportunity at the 2010 MCC Tournament. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.

A LIVE BLOG will be available during the game and LIVE AUDIO will also be available at www.muknights.com.