MARION, Ind. -- Baseball is notorious for dramatic endings and Wednesday was no exception to that old adage.

The No. 4-seeded Marian College baseball team opened the 2007 Mid-Central College Conference tournament with a pair of dramatic victories including a marathon 16-inning affair in its first game. The Knights opened the tournament with an 8-7 victory over the No. 3-seeded Bethel College Pilots and remained unbeaten in the double-elimination tournament with a come-from-behind 6-5 victory over No. 5-seeded Taylor University Trojans in the nightcap.

The second game was indicative of Marian baseball as the Knights had to wait until the end to finish off their opponent. Taylor jumped in front 3-0 after four innings as the Knight offense was dragging from the marathon in game one. However, Marian began to chip away at the lead in the bottom of the fifth.

A pair of singles from senior Cody Andrew (Hanover, Ind./Southeastern) and junior Jason Moon (Anderson, Ind./Anderson) and a walk from senior Joel Strode (Canton, Ill./ Canton) loaded the bases with no one out. Sophomore Chad Morris (Whitestown, Ind./Lebanon) singled home Andrew to cut the lead to 3-1. Taylor immediately answered with a run of its own to push the lead back to three, 4-1.

An RBI-single from Strode in the sixth and an RBI-fielder's choice from freshman Mike Keltz (Avon, Ind./ Avon) in the seventh move to within one at 4-3. The Trojans answered with one of their own in the top of the eighth to take the 5-3 advantage into the ninth.

Morris led off the ninth with a single and sophomore Josh Terrell (Doswell, Va./Danville CC) walked to put two on with nobody out. Junior Josh Gerald (Frankfort, Ind./ Frankfort) sacrificed the two runners to second and third to provide the space for drama. Keltz grounded out to the pitcher as junior Andre Hall (Indianapolis, Ind./Purdue) did not hesitate in taking off to score the inning's first run making the game, 5-4.

After junior Kevin Shepherd (Fortville, Ind./Ancilla JC) walked, the first pitch to senior Bryston Bangel (Indianapolis, Ind./ Decatur Central) squirted past the catcher allowing Terrell to score the tying run and Shepherd to move to second. Bangel then ripped a 2-2 pitch down the left field line past the outstretched third baseman's glove. Shepherd rounded third and the throw was just late as Shepherd scored the winning run to give the Knights a 6-5 victory.

Junior Steve Swain (Danville, Ind./ Indiana Tech) threw seven strong innings and freshman Richard Parrish (Avon, Ind./ Avon) finished the final two innings to pick up the victory.

Game one was more of the same, only a lot longer. Marian posted four runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 4-0 lead. Strode, Moon, and Terrell each brought runs home to give senior Jeff Brunette (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) a 4-0 lead.

The Pilots cut the lead, 4-1, but Marian answered in the bottom of the fourth. Strode singled home his second run of the game to push the score line to 5-1. In the bottom of the fifth, a two-run single up the middle by Bangel pushed the lead to six, 7-1. However, the Pilots would make up the deficit with a two-run sixth and a four-run seventh to knot the line, 7-7.

This score line is where the game would stay for another nine innings as neither team could produce anything of much substance from the eighth through the 15 th inning. However, the 16 th inning proved the winner for the Knights.

After Keltz walked to open the inning, a pair of strikeouts looked as if the 16 th would go by the wayside like the previous eight innings. Andrew followed the strikeouts with a walk and Strode was intentionally walked to load the bases. Moon stepped to the plate and hit a cue-shot off the end of his bat to the left of the mound. The pitcher pounced on it, but the spin took it away from him. Moon beat the play at first and Keltz scored to pick up the victory, 8-7.

Brunette did not figure in the decision even though he threw nine innings. Junior Nick Schmutte (Sheridan, Ind./Sheridan) picked up the win after he threw seven scoreless innings of relief and scattered just four hits to improve to 3-2 on the season.

Strode led the Knights by going 6-for-9 for the two games with three RBI, five walks, a double and a stolen base. Andrew finishes 4-for-8 six walks while Moon, Keltz and Bangel each added two RBI.

The Knights (18-25-1) remain unbeaten in the double-elimination tournament and will take on the winner of the elimination game between Taylor and St. Francis on Thursday. The game is slated for 7 p.m.