UPLAND, Ind. – Senior JP Maracani belted a three-run home run in the seventh inning to power the Spring Arbor University baseball team to a 4-3 win in game one of Tuesday's Crossroads League doubleheader against Taylor University. The Trojans would avoid the four-game series sweep, however, with a walk-off 2-1 win over the Cougars in the nightcap.
The loss in game two snapped SAU's six-game winning streak as the team moved to 13-6 overall and 6-2 in the Crossroads League. Meanwhile, Taylor improved its record to 15-10 on the year with a 3-5 mark in the conference.
Spring Arbor trailed 3-1 heading into the seventh, but junior Mitchel Patterson drew a leadoff walk and senior Tyler Baker followed with a base hit to chase TU's Logan Rogers and bring the go-ahead run to the plate. Maracani greeted the new pitcher by launching his first offering over the left field fence giving him his second homer in as many days.
Sophomore Brody Harris tossed his second straight complete game to improve to 3-0 on the season. The southpaw allowed three runs on five hits while tying his season-high with eight strikeouts.
Runs were at a premium in game two as sophomore Robert Cleary squared off with TU's Matt Patton. The two pitchers combined to throw six shutout innings before the Cougars plated the first run with two outs in the top of the seventh. Freshman Adam Rojas ripped a two-out triple to right-center field, and fellow freshman Francisco Ondina delivered a clutch hit to put the Cougars on top.
Taylor would rally, however, for two runs in the home half of the frame to walk-off with its only win of the series.
Rojas and Ondina picked up two hits apiece to pace the offense.
Cleary was outstanding through six innings, but surrendered a pair of runs in the seventh to suffer his first loss of the season. The right-hander scattered seven hits while fanning three.
Spring Arbor opens a six-game homestand with a doubleheader against the University of Saint Francis (Ind.) on Thursday, Apr. 2. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.
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