MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team took the field for the third time in four days on Tuesday (March 24) afternoon and came away with a pair of shutout victories over visiting Bethany (W.Va.) College at Marietta Field. The Pioneers slugged their way to an 8-0, five-inning win in the opener and then walked off with a 1-0 victory in the nightcap to improve to 10-6 on the season. The Bison fell to 4-8.
Marietta's bats produced eight runs on eight hits and took advantage of three Bethany errors to win the first game. Sophomore Amanda Strong (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South), meanwhile, gave up just one hit, a second inning single, and overcame three errors to earn the win. Strong, who improved to 3-2, walked one and struck out a pair in five innings.
The Pioneers struck for two unearned runs in the first. Junior Maggie Daubenmire (Thornville/Lakewood Hebron) (Thornville/Lakewood Hebron) singled with one out to drive in senior Emily McComb (Gnadenhutten/Indian Valley) (Gnadenhutten/Indian Valley), who led off by reaching on an error, and sophomore Hope Cowoski (Perry/Perry) (Perry), who followed McComb with a bunt single.
Marietta extended the lead in the second. Sophomore Cassady Busellato (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson) (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson) drew a leadoff walk. Senior Erin Faulkner (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg) (Wheelersburg) followed with a double to left center, advancing Busellato to third. Sophomore Nikki Stone (Madison/Madison) (Madison) drove in Busellato with a bunt single; Faulkner moved to third on the play. McComb picked up a RBI—Faulkner scored—after reaching on another error. Daubenmire then plated Stone with a sacrifice fly to center to give her team a 5-0 lead.
The Pioneers completed their scoring in the fifth. Cowoski led off with a double. Daubenmire reached on a bunt single with Cowoski moving to third. After Daubenmire stole second, sophomore Ashley Eberhardt (Massillon/Tuslaw) (Massillon/Tuslaw) cleared the bases with a three-run home run to center field, bringing the eight-run rule into effect.
Cowoski and Daubenmire led Marietta's offense with two hits each. Daubenmire and Eberhardt both had three RBI.
Game two saw another solid performance from a Marietta pitcher and just enough Pioneer offense to pull out a victory without having to go to extra innings.
Freshman Megan Born (Delta/Pike-Delta-York) (Delta/Delta-Pike-York) allowed just three hits in a complete-game victory. Born, who improved to 2-1, walked one and struck out another.
Summer Terrell (2-5) held Marietta off the board until the seventh. Busellato, who finished with two of her team's four hits, led off the frame with a double to right field. Freshman Kylie Kitson (Belle Center/Benjamin Logan) (Belle Center/Benjamin Logan) replaced Busellato at second base and raced around to score the winning run on another double by Faulkner, giving the Pioneers the 1-0 victory.
Marietta will continue its busy schedule with a doubleheader at Wooster on Thursday (March 26). First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.
