MARIETTA, Ohio — The #14 Marietta College baseball team slugged a school record seven home runs and pounded visiting Franklin (Ind.) College pitching for 21 hits in an 18-4 victory at Don Schaly Stadium on Tuesday (March 31) evening. The win was the Pioneers' eighth straight and improved their record to 13-3. The Grizzlies snapped a five-game win streak and fell to 12-7.
Head Coach Brian Brewer's squad received a pair of home runs from senior Cameron Cimino (Boardman/Boardman) (Boardman) and junior Chris Beatty (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton) (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton), as well as single home runs from sophomore John Snyder (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) (Altoona, Pa.), junior Tyler Penwell (Washington Court House/Washington Court House) (Washington Court House) and senior Brennan Cribbins (Middleburg Heights/Midpark) (Middleburg Heights/Midpark) on the record-breaking day.
Marietta's previous record of six home runs was set on six different occasions—against Otterbein and West Virginia Tech in 1965, Emory & Henry in 1968, Denison in 1975, Ohio Wesleyan in 1981 and Allegheny in 2000. The Pioneers were also one shy of the OAC record, set by Muskingum against Kenyon in 1972.
The Etta Express out hit the Grizzlies 21-5, left five on base and overcame two errors in the win. Franklin stranded 10 runners on base and made one error in the loss.
Cimino, who also hit two home runs in Monday (March 30) afternoon's doubleheader sweep of Capital, finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and five RBI. Penwell went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, while freshman Jordan Thompson (Quaker City/Buckeye Trail) (Quaker City/Buckeye Trail) was 3-for-5 and Snyder, Beatty, Cribbins, senior Justin Merryman (New Philadelphia/New Philadelphia) (New Philadelphia) and junior Matt DeSico (Euclid/Euclid) (Euclid) all added a pair of hits in the game.
Senior Jason Baumler (Crownsville, Md./Old Mill) (Crownsville, Md./Old Mill) earned the win, improving to 2-1 on the season. Baumler allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits in six innings. He walked four and fanned three. Freshman Kyle Lindquist (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) made his Pioneer debut and earned the save after scattering one run on one hit, walking one and striking out another over the final three innings.
Franklin took a 1-0 lead by scoring an unearned run in the first inning. Marietta sent eight runners to the plate and answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame to take its first lead of the day. Snyder began with a single. Merryman and Cimino walked to load the bases. After a fielder's choice cut down a runner at the plate, Penwell drove in the first run with a single to left. DeSico then drew a walk to force in a run. Freshman Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance) (Alliance) picked up the third RBI with an infield single.
The Grizzlies came back with another unearned run in the second. The Pioneers answered with a run on a Snyder home run to left, his first of the season. Penwell added to the lead with a solo shot to left in the third, giving Marietta a 5-2 advantage. The home run was Penwell's third of the spring.
Marietta broke the game open with three more runs in the fourth. Snyder worked a one-out walk. Merryman then singled. Cimino followed with a three-run blast to right center, his third home run in as many games and fifth of the spring.
A walk, a ground out and a single led to Franklin's third run in the fifth. Marietta went quiet in the fifth before getting back on the board in the sixth. Thompson opened the sixth with his second single of the game. Merryman drove in Thompson with a one-out base hit to left field. Cimino then launched his second home run of the game, a two-run shot to left. Beatty made it back-to-back home runs with a solo blast, also to left. Penwell followed the home runs with a single. DeSico added another. A third straight single by Cribbins led to a pair of runs. DeSico scored on the hit, while Penwell crossed the plate when the ball was thrown away at first base. Thompson capped the inning's scoring with a RBI triple to left, plating Cribbins with the seventh run and Marietta led 15-3 at six.
Franklin added a run against Lindquist in the seventh. Marietta got the run back with Beatty's second home run of the game and fourth of the year in the bottom of the inning. The Etta Express then scored its 17th run on a RBI double by DeSico, which plated Penwell, who walked after Beatty's home run.
The record-breaking home run came off the bat of Cribbins to lead off the eighth and made the final score18-4 in favor of the Etta Express. It was the first home run of the year for Cribbins.
The Pioneers are back in action on Wednesday (April 1) afternoon when they visit Mideast Region rival #7 College of Wooster. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. Action can be heard online at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/onlinebroadcasts.html and tracked at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/livestats/xlive.htm.
