INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Grace's baseball team earned a split against Marian on Friday afternoon. The Lancers dropped the opener 8-3, but led the entire way in the nightcap to win 5-3.

The teams traded runs in game one with each team claiming a lead at some point in the first six innings, but the Knights scored four runs in the seventh inning to pull ahead for the victory. 

While trailing 1-0 in the second, Grace (8-18, 2-12 CL) loaded the bases after a pair of walks and a single. John Joyce drove in two runs with his RBI single to put the team ahead by one. 

Grace tacked on another run to go ahead by two in the top of the fifth. Marian plated a pair in the bottom half to level the score 3-3. 

The Knights (13-12, 8-6) moved ahead for good with a run in the following inning and put the game out of reach with four more in the home half of the seventh.

The Lancers had two runners in scoring position in the eighth after a walk, single and wild pitch. The run-scoring play, however, did not come as the Knights got a fly out to end the inning.

Five different players recorded a hit in the game. Grant Hartley went 1 for 2 with a double and two walks. 

Joey Springer came on to pitch 1.2 innings of scoreless relief to close out the game. Grace's pitching staff combined for six strikeouts. 

The Lancers ended a twelve-game skid with a 5-3 triumph in the back end of the doubleheader. Grace led the entire way, while Evan Etchison pitched a complete game to pick up his fourth win of the season. 

The first runs of the game came in the third frame when Grace used two extra-base hits to bring home three runs. Patrick Danforth led off with a double, followed by walks to Maximo De Leon and Austin Carr. With the bases loaded, Ryan Stark provided a 2-RBI double, and Hartley capped off the inning with a sac fly to bring home the third run.

The Lancers tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth to take a 5-1 lead into the late innings. 

Grace took advantage of two walks and two singles as part of the two-run sixth. Danforth brought home two runs with a hit back up the middle to plate Gavin Kelley and Matt Friesema. 

Marian plated a run in each of its final three at-bats, but Etchison was able to limit the damage to keep the lead intact. He scattered five hits and three runs in the complete game, fanning five batters along the way. 

Stark and Danforth combined for 4 hits, 4 RBIs, 1 walk and 1 run to lead the way. Grace picked up three stolen bases in the game with Addison Hickman swiping his eleventh bag of the year. 

Grace will conclude its four-game set with the Knights on Saturday with an away doubleheader at 1 p.m.