Lady Pioneers defeat Cortland State for fourth straight victory at Rebel Spring Games
Marietta closes out spring trip with doubleheader on Friday afternoon

March 13, 2008
By: Steve Rose, Assistant SID
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Marietta College softball team completed its second two-game sweep in three days, as its defeated SUNY-Cortland (N.Y.) 3-2 in its second game at the Rebel Spring Games. Marietta won its early morning game over Lake Forest (Ill.) 8-3. The win improves Marietta’s record to 5-3 and is the fourth straight for the Pioneers. Cortland State drops to 5-2.

Freshman Amanda Strong (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) made the most of her second career start by pitching six innings and only allowing two runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and three walks. Junior Erin Faulkner (Wheelersburg) entered the game in the seventh in relief to get three straight outs and pick her first save of the year.

Marietta got on the board with one run in the first. Marietta’s first three batters reached safely to load the bases for Katie Woolf (Louisville). Woolf managed to hit a fly ball deep to left that would be good enough for a sacrifice fly and score Brandy Jacob (Wellington/Keystone), who singled earlier in the inning. Marietta led 1-0 after one.

In the third, the Pioneers would plate two more to take a 3-0 lead. Senior Nikki Veigel (Canton/Canton South) doubled to left center to drive home Jacob from third and Woolf from first. Cortland would get on the board in the fourth and add one in the fifth to get its two runs. Strong (2-1) worked out of a few jams during the first six frames before Faulkner came in and closed the door.

Jacob would finish the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Veigel went 1-for-3 with the two-run double in the third. Woolf also had a RBI and scored a run on the afternoon.

Marietta finished the game with three runs on three hits and made three errors. Cortland State ended with two runs on eight hits and had four errors.

The Lady Pioneers are back in action Friday (March 14) when they wrap up their play at the Rebel Spring Games. Marietta will face Hiram College at 3 p.m. and then Manhattenville (N.Y.) College at 5 p.m.