MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team opened its Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) schedule with a doubleheader split against visiting #14 Ohio Northern University Saturday (March 21) afternoon at Marietta Field. The Polar Bears took advantage of an error to break open and win game one, 10-3. The Pioneers, however, fought back for a 6-4 win in the nightcap to gain the split.
With the split, Marietta moved to 7-5 overall and 1-1 in the OAC. Ohio Northern suffered its first loss of the year and is now 13-1 overall and 1-1 in league play.
Marietta jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Sophomore Hope Cowoski (Perry/Perry) (Perry) reached on a bunt single with one out and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Classmate Ashley Eberhardt (Massillon/Tuslaw) (Massillon/Tuslaw) then delivered a RBI single to plate Cowoski.
Ohio Northern tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second. The Pioneers regained the lead 2-1 in the third. Again, Cowoski started the rally with a bunt single. Junior Katie Woolf (Louisville/Louisville) (Louisville) followed two batters later with a RBI double.
The score remained 2-1 in favor of Marietta until the sixth when Ohio Northern scored five unearned runs to take a commanding 6-2 lead. The Polar Bears, which took advantage of a Pioneer error, had five hits in the frame.
Ohio Northern used the momentum to add four more runs in the seventh to extend its lead to 10-2. Marietta scored its final run in the bottom of the frame when senior Emily McComb (Gnadenhutten/Indian Valley) (Gnadenhutten/Indian Valley) singled and scored on a RBI triple by junior Maggie Daubenmire (Thornville/Lakewood Hebron) (Thornville/Lakewood Hebron).
The Polar Bears out hit the Pioneers 14-9 and were aided by four Marietta errors in the first game.
Cowoski finished 3-for-3 with three runs scored to pace Marietta. Liz Decima led Ohio Northern by going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. Katie Cretin added three hits, while Danielle Goubeaux, Jackie Mangola and Courtney Cash all added a pair of hits in the win.
Senior Erin Faulkner (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg) (Wheelersburg) (4-2) suffered the loss after allowing eight runs (two earned) on 11 hits in 6 1/3 innings. She walked three and fanned three. Cash improved to 6-0 by scattering three runs on nine hits in the complete game victory. She walked one and struck out two.
Ohio Northern took the early lead in the nightcap with a two-run home run in the first inning by Tina Mangola. Marietta answered with single runs in the first and second to tie the game at 2-2. Woolf had a RBI single up the middle, plating McComb in the first. Eberhardt then drove in McComb with a single down the left field line in the second.
The Pioneer then took their first lead of the second game by plating a run in the bottom of the third. McComb produced a RBI single up the middle to score senior Nikki Driscoll (Bellaire/Bellaire) (Bellaire), who led off the frame with a walk.
The Polar Bears fought back with two-run home run off the bat of Cretin in the top of the fourth to retake the lead, 4-3. The back-and-forth continued in the bottom of the fourth when Driscoll hit a RBI single to drive in Eberhardt, who singled earlier in the frame, tying the game at 4-4.
Marietta took the lead for good an inning later on a two-run single up the middle by Eberhardt, plating sophomore Nikki Stone (Madison/Madison) (Madison) and McComb; both had infield singles earlier in the frame.
Faulkner, who returned to the mound in the fifth inning of the nightcap, shutdown the Polar Bears the rest of the way to earn the win and improve to 5-2 on the spring. Faulkner did not allow a hit and walked just one hitter over the three-inning span. Sophomore Amanda Strong (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) got the start and worked four frames. She allowed four runs on two hits while walking two and striking out two in the no decision.
Lauren Hurd took the loss after being tagged for six runs (four earned) on 12 hits over 4 1/3 innings. She walked three and struck out three. Stephanie Inkrott closed the game for the Polar Bears and did not allow a hit while striking out two and walking one.
Marietta out hit Ohio Northern 12-6, and the Polar Bears had three errors in the game.
McComb led all hitters with a 4-for-5 and three-runs scored performance. Eberhardt also added three hits in four at-bats and drove in three, while Cowoski went 2-for-3 in the win. Six different Polar Bears had one hit in the loss.
Marietta is back in action on Sunday (March 21) afternoon when Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) College visits Marietta Field for a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. Live stats will be available at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/livestats/xlive.htm.
