LEAD 

KENTWOOD, Mich. -- It was the Sabercats' most productive day at the plate all season, but they still took two losses to Grace Christian University to open the weekend series in Michigan. Maranatha (0-17) fell 8-16 and 3-11 to the Tigers (9-20) on a cloudy day at Kellogg Woods Park.

Teddy Haugen grabbed the headlines home runs in back-to-back games - the first time since 2001 for a Maranatha Baseball player. Haugen and Cameron Curcuro led Maranatha on the day with four hits apiece.

OVERVIEW

• Result:
  • Game One: Maranatha 8-16 Grace Christian
  • Game Two: Maranatha 3-11 Grace Christian
• Venue: Kellogg Woods Park 
• Location: Kentwood, Mich.
• Attendance: -
• Records: MBU (0-17), GCU (9-20) 

STORY

Game One
The bats came alive right away in the opener, as Maranatha grabbed the lead 5-4 in the top of the second inning. Haugen got things started with a double to left field, and an RBI single from Curcuro paired nicely with a collection of errors from the Tigers to give Maranatha the advantage. Brayden Kenny was the third Sabercat to contribute a hit in the big second inning.

Jonathan Piranian and Joe Cook (RBI) both smashed doubles in the third inning, as the Sabercats doubled their lead, but a 12-run blitz from the Tigers in the 4th-6th innings stunned the Sabercats. The hosts compiled eight hits in the 12-run stretch to stifle the Sabercats' bid at the win, and despite a seventh-inning homer from Haugen and a sacrifice fly from Kenny, the Sabercats were handed their first loss of the season.

Piranian, Cook, and Haugen all had doubles for Maranatha, while Curcuro (3) Piranian (2), and Haugen (2) all recorded multiple hits. Haugen recorded his third and fourth career home runs.

Lineup: 9- Anderson P, 5- Nickels LF, 17- Martin SS, 18- Haugen 1B, 15- Piranian CF, 13- Curcuro 2B, 21- Cook 3B, 2- Kenny C, 8- Arterberry RF

Game Two
Grace wasted no time in the first inning of the second game, scoring four runs in the first and another in the second. Maranatha's only initial response was an RBI double from Cucuro to bring home Haugen in the top of the fourth, but Grace answered with five runs in their next at-bat to put the game on ice.

Haugen stepped up again in the sixth with his second home run of the day - the first for a Maranatha player since 2001 - but that and an RBI double from Cook were the only offense the Sabercats could produce for the rest of the game.

All in all, it was the Sabercats' most productive day at the plate this season, and they will look to carry the momentum into games three and four of the weekend series at Grace.
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Lineup: 9- Anderson C, 5- Nickels 1B, 17- Martin P, 18- Haugen 3B, 15- Piranian CF, 13- Curcuro SS, 21- Cook 2B, 2- Kenny LF, 8- Arterberry RF

STATS

• Haugen: first Maranatha student-athlete since 2001 to record home runs in back-to-back games
• Haugen: third and fourth career home runs
• Haugen, Curcuro: four hits on the day
• Last Time: Maranatha fell 3-14 and 3-5 in a double-header against Grace on April 22, 2023
• Series: Grace currently leads the all-time series against Maranatha 9-0

OPPONENTS

• Grace Christian competes in the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association 
• Grace Christian finished the 2023 season with a record of 8-33

NEXT

The Sabercats stay in Kentwood, Michigan to face Grace in another double-header, Saturday starting at 12 p.m. EDT Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.