Just two days removed from two obliterations of Highland Park last Wednesday, Manhattan High baseball head coach Don Hess wasn’t worried about his team’s mentality heading into Friday’s senior-day doubleheader against a much more potent Hayden squad.

He said his team knew what was at stake, having played Hayden a year ago on the road — a twinbill the Indians split.

The same happened Friday in Manhattan.

The Indians earned another split with Hayden, dropping game one 13-5, but slowing down the Wildcats’ bats in game two with a 7-4 win.

The stark contrast in games can perhaps be attributed to the Indians’ pitching, as Hess was forced to use three arms in game one against the Wildcat’s sizzling bats, while sophomore Carson Marsh started game two on the mound and came an out away from a complete game, striking out five in the process.

“He was very good and composed for a sophomore, and somebody we’re going to count on,” Hess said. “Once his pitch count reached about 100, we wanted him out, but at the same time, we know he wanted to finish the game.”

In game one, however, pitching was the trouble spot.

“We’re kind of shaky on the mound,” Hess said. “We’re just not consistent, we’re falling behind and defensively, you have to be there when your pitcher’s struggling, and we weren’t. We had a couple opportunities early in [game one] to stop the bleeding, and we weren’t able to do that.”

The bleeding came in the form of 17 Hayden hits, six of which came in the third inning, when the Wildcats put a six-spot on the scoreboard, upping their lead to 12-5.

The Indians didn’t score again after their five-run second inning, and Hayden made them pay. Manhattan was kept in check for the rest of the contest, and the Wildcats took game one.

The nightcap, on the other hand, was a different story, including for MHS at the plate. Taking the injured Tanner Holen’s three-hole spot in the lineup, senior Grant Munsen launched a two-run shot over the left-field fences, a home run that gave his team a quick 2-0 lead in the first frame.

“I got a good pitch. I was ready; 3-2 count; I shortened up my stride a little bit,” Munsen said. “I saw the ball well and just put a good swing on it.”

The big fly set the stage for the Indians’ offense for the rest of the contest, as Manhattan added a run in the second, three in the fourth and one in the sixth on the way to the 7-4 win.

It may not have been possible without Marsh’s performance on the mound, though. The sophomore said he tried to keep things simple.

“Really, all I was trying to do is execute pitches and hit my spots,” Marsh said. “I wasn’t trying to do anything special. If they put it in play, I was going to let my defense work for me.”

Now at 10-6 for the season, the Indians now turn their attention to Tuesday’s doubleheader at Emporia. He may not start again, but Marsh remains confident in his team heading into the road twinbill.

“Oh yeah,” he said, rather bluntly. “We’ll sweep.”