Etta Express defeats rival Otterbein 5-2 in opening round of OAC Tournament
Marietta will play either Heidelberg or Mount Union Friday at 9:30 a.m.

May 8, 2008
TIFFIN, Ohio — The Marietta College baseball team, who played arguably the toughest schedule in the country this spring, did so to be battle-tested when the postseason began. That journey led the Pioneers to their first round Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament match-up with rival Otterbein College on Thursday (May 8) afternoon. The second-seeded Etta Express proved ready for the challenge, topping the third-seeded Cardinals 5-2 to advance in the winner's bracket on the campus of Heidelberg College.

The Pioneers, who improved to 22-18, will play the winner of the game between top-seeded Heidelberg College and fourth-seeded Mount Union College, which followed the Marietta and Otterbein contest. First pitch of that winner's bracket game will take place on Friday (May 9) morning at 9:30 a.m. The Cardinals fell to 25-14 and will take on the loser at 12:30 p.m.

Junior ace T.J. Knowlton (Greenwich/Mapleton) limited Otterbein to just eight hits, while Marietta collected 13 hits against Cardinal ace Dan Remenowsky. Marietta left 12 runners on base and made two errors. Otterbein had six left on base and did not make an error.

After stranding the bases loaded with two outs in the first against Remenowsky, the Etta Express came through with two outs in the second. Sophomore catcher Danny Jones (Lima/Shawnee) singled up the middle. Freshman left fielder Britt Meador (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) followed with a double down the right field line, moving Jones to third. Junior center fielder Justin Merryman (New Philadelphia) then laced a double just inside the first base bag to drive in Jones and Meador and give Marietta a 2-0 advantage.

A two-base error led to Otterbein's first run of the game in the fourth. Senior second baseman Tony Piconke (Clinton Township, Mich./Clintondale) chased a fly ball into right field and had it in his glove but could not hold on. The runner later scored on a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-1 in favor of Marietta.

The Pioneers added to their lead in the seventh. Meador began the frame with a single up the middle. With the Cardinals in a bunt defense, Merryman slugged a bunt passed the pitcher and through the hole at second base. Meador moved all the way to third. Junior third baseman Cameron Cimino (Boardman) and senior first baseman Dom Winters (Washington, Pa.) followed with RBI singles. Remenowsky, however, settled down to retire the next three hitters but Marietta ended the inning on top 4-1.

A leadoff single, an error or the play and then another single produced a second unearned run for Otterbein in the eighth. A third hit in the inning ended Knowlton's day. Junior Chris Stewart (Dublin/Coffman) came in and induced the 4-3 double play to get out of the inning and preserve his team’s two-run lead.

Marietta added another insurance run in the eighth when it loaded the bases and Remenowsky walked in a run. Stewart retired the side in order in the ninth to seal the 5-2 victory.

Knowlton, who improved to 9-2, scatted two unearned runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out four in 7 1/3 innings. Remenowsky, who fell to 5-2, allowed five runs on 13 hits. He walked six and fanned seven in eight innings.

Meador paced Marietta's offense from the leadoff spot with a 3-for-5 and two-run scored performance. Merryman had two hits, including the two-run double in the second. DeSico and Jones both added a pair of singles in the win. Charlie Edwards and Dan Lassak finished with two hits each in the loss.

Notes: Marietta has now appeared in every OAC Tournament since 1984…The OAC Tournament began its present four-team, double-elimination format in 1985…Marietta and Otterbein have met in the OAC Tournament 10 times since 2001; the Cardinals have won 6-of-9…Justin Merryman (10) and Cameron Cimino (9) extended their hitting streaks on Thursday...All of Marietta's OAC Tournament games can be heard live locally in Marietta on WMOA-AM 1490 and over the Internet at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/onlinebroadcasts.html.