The 2024-2025 Marian University Ancilla Baseball team got their Spring season underway Friday, traveling to Nelsonville in Southeastern, Ohio, to take on the Hocking College Hawks. The Chargers split the pair of games, falling 11-1 (8 innings) in the opener, before winning 6-2 (5 innings) in a shortened second affair.

Game-1: In the first game of the day, the Hawks struck first with a run in the bottom of the 2nd inning. They used a walk, a balk, then a single to plate their first runner. The Chargers answered back and tied it at 1-1 in the top of the 3rd when Freshman Logan Clark smashed a line drive home run over the right field fence. Following what was the biggest highlight of the game for the Chargers, Hocking proceeded to score 3 runs in the bottom of the 4th, 3 runs in the bottom of 6th, then 4 more runs in the bottom of the 8th to apply the 10-run rule.

Freshman starting pitcher Evan Lanphier (0-1) took the loss on the afternoon, however the combination of Lanphier and Sophomore reliever Jacob Hobbs combined to strike out an impressive 13 batters in just 7.2 innings pitched. Freshmen Aayden Antoine and Jaxson Hixson each hit doubles at different points in the game.

Game-2: The second game saw a really nice pitching performance from Charger starter Kaleb Short (1-0), a Freshman from River Forest High School. Short pitched all 5.0 innings, allowing just the 2 runs, while also striking out 6 Hawks. Also stepping up was Sophomore outfielder John Morgan. The lefty singled twice and drove in 3 of the team's 6 runs. Freshman catcher Nolan Pizzo went 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in a run, while Freshman Javier Higham pinch hit in the 3rd inning and immediately drove in a run on a single. He remained in the game and played second base.

Following this tune-up at Hocking College, the Marian Ancilla Baseball team will now spend the next 2 1/2 weeks preparing for their annual Spring trip to the RussMatt Invitational in and around Orlando, Florida. The Chargers open play on Sunday, March 2nd, when they take on fellow MCCAA foe Jackson College. Good luck to the Baseball team as they look to improve upon last season's record-setting 16-win season!!