MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team continued its winning ways on Saturday (March 28) afternoon with a non-conference doubleheader sweep of visiting Kenyon College at Marietta Field. The Pioneers, who have now won seven straight, improved to 14-6 with 5-0 and 4-1 victories. The Ladies fell to 9-7.
Pitching has been the story of the win streak, which dates back to a victory in the second game of a twin bill with Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) on Sunday. Marietta's three pitchers have combined to post a 0.80 ERA with four shutouts over the 45-inning span. The Pioneers are also hitting .329 (56-for-170) during the stretch.
On Saturday, sophomore Amanda Strong (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) threw her second shutout of the spring in the opener. The right-hander scattered eight hits, walked one and struck out two to improve to 5-2.
Marietta's offense began its scoring in the bottom of the first as it plated three runs on five hits. Senior Emily McComb (Gnadenhutten/Indian Valley) (Gnadenhutten/Indian Valley) and sophomore Hope Cowoski (Perry/Perry) (Perry) led off with back-to-back bunt singles. Senior Maggie Daubenmire (Thornville/Lakewood Hebron) (Thornville/Lakewood Hebron) drove in McComb and sophomore Ashley Eberhardt (Massillon/Tuslaw) (Massillon/Tuslaw) drove in Cowoski with a RBI singles to left field. Senior Nikki Driscoll (Bellaire/Bellaire) (Bellaire) added a RBI single later in the frame to score Daubenmire and give Marietta the 3-0 advantage.
The Pioneers added a pair of runs in the third. Eberhardt and junior Katie Woolf (Louisville/Louisville) (Louisville) both singled to left with one out. Sophomore Cassady Busellato (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson) (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson) then doubled to right center to plate both runners and make the score 5-0 in favor of the Pioneers.
Marietta out hit Kenyon 10-8 in the game. Daubenmire and Eberhardt both finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and a RBI. Brianna LaChusa, Emily Ruf, and Stephanie Caton all had two hits for the Ladies in the loss.
Senior Erin Faulkner (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg) (Wheelersburg) took the ball in the second game and allowed just three hits over five innings. She walked one and fanned three while improving to 6-3 on the season. Freshman Megan Born (Delta/Pike-Delta-York) (Delta/Delta-Pike-York) pitched the final two frames. Born gave up one run on one hit; she also walked one and struck out one.
Faulkner helped her own cause when she opened the third with a single to the fence in right center. Freshman Brooke Baker (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg) (Wheelersburg) followed with a two-run home run to left field to put the Pioneers on top 2-0.
Marietta added to its lead in the sixth. McComb worked a lead off walk and Cowoski followed with a bunt single over the head of the drawn in third baseman. A sacrifice bunt by Daubenmire advanced Pioneers to second and third with one out. Eberhardt then came through with a two-run single up the middle to extend the Marietta advantage to 4-0.
Five different Pioneers had a hit in the nightcap, which saw Marietta overcome two errors. Kenyon finished with four hits, two off the bat of Kelly Adams.
Marietta is back in action on Wednesday (April 1) afternoon when it resumes Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play against visiting Wilmington College. First pitch of the doubleheader at Marietta Field is slated for 3:30 p.m.
