INDIANAPOLIS - University of St. Francis packed its hitting shoes on Sunday but a bout of wildness in the late innings of game two prevented the Saints from sweeping a nonconference doubleheader at Marian University. USF won the opener, 7-3, but let the nightcap slip away by an 11-10 score.

The Saints (18-12) racked up 17 runs on 24 hits in the two 7-inning games. They limited the host Knights to just 16 hits in the twin bill but issued 9 walks and hit 5 Marian batters in game two to let a 9-5 lead get away in the final three innings.

USF took control of game one early, with the Saints scoring three times in the first on 3-run home run by senior catcher Pat Grady (Sandburg H.S./Orland Park, IL). The Saints added two more tallies in the second on a 2-run single by sophomore shortstop David Schwabe (Driscoll Catholic H.S./Wood Dale, IL).

Marian (17-15) scored once in the third but USF stretched its lead to a half-dozen runs in the fifth when senior third baseman Andy Zurales (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) belted a 2-run homer, the first of his two round trippers on the day.

Junior southpaw Mitch LaBuda (Downers Grove North H.S./Downers Grove, IL) went the distance for USF, scattering seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Schwabe, Grady and senior center fielder David Heasley (Crystal Lake Central H.S./Spring Grove, IL) all had two hits apiece to lead the offense.

USF battled back from 3-0 and 5-3 deficits in game two to take a 9-5 lead through four-and-one-half innings of play. The Saints scored three times in the third, with one run scoring on a Schwabe double and two more crossing the plate on Zurales' second home run of the afternoon. USF added four runs in the fourth with Zurales again knocking in a pair on a base hit and Grady driving in another run with a single.

The lead grew to 9-5 in the fifth on an RBI single by senior second baseman Steve Witczak (St. Rita H.S./Chicago, IL) which was followed by a run-scoring triple by Schwabe.

The bottom of the fifth was a disaster for the Saints. USF pitchers walked five batters and hit two others as Marian plated four runs without the benefit of a base hit and tied the game at 9-9.

USF regained the lead at 10-9 in the sixth thanks to a leadoff walk to Heasley, a sacrifice bunt by freshman first baseman Joe Ruge (Riverside-Brookfield H.S./North Riverside, IL), a base hit by senior left fielder Tom Serruto (Glenbard West H.S./Glen Ellyn, IL) and a wild pitch.

But Marian answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, with another hit batsman that put the eventual winning run on base.

The Saints rang up 15 hits in the losing effort, with Schwabe falling just a home run short of the cycle. Witczak also had three hits and Zurales finished with four RBI, giving him six on the day.

USF is off until Wednesday when the Saints resume Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play with a 9-inning single game at Trinity Christian in Palos Heights. The Saints and Trolls split a conference doubleheader at Silver Cross Field this past Tuesday. USF is currently 9-5 and in third place in the CCAC standings.