MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College and Muskingum College renewed their rivalry on the baseball diamond Thursday (April 18) afternoon at Don Schaly Stadium after being rained out the two previous days. The teams produced a pair of one-run games with the #15 Etta Express rallying to win the opener 5-4 and the Fighting Muskies rallying to win the nightcap 3-2.
With the split, Marietta moved to 18-8 overall and 9-3 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The Pioneers fell to second place, one game behind league leader Heidelberg University after the Student Princes swept a doubleheader at Ohio Northern on Thursday. Muskingum improved to 14-14, 5-7 in the OAC.
Marietta out hit Muskingum 10-8 in game one. The Pioneers overcame two errors, while the Muskies had one.
Muskingum plated a pair of runs on three hits in the first inning to take the early lead in the opener. The Muskies then stretched their lead to 4-0 with two more unearned runs in the fourth.
The Pioneers' bats awoke in the sixth. Sophomore John Snyder (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) (Altoona, Pa.) singled through the right side with one out. Senior Cameron Cimino (Boardman/Boardman) (Boardman) drove in Snyder with a double to put Marietta on the board. Junior Chris Beatty (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton) (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton) followed with a single, moving Cimino over to third. Junior Matt DeSico (Euclid/Euclid) (Euclid) added the fourth hit of the frame, a single just inside the third base bag, to plate Cimino and make it 4-2. Junior Tyler Penwell (Washington Court House/Washington Court House) (Washington Court House) produced a RBI ground out to pull his squad within a run, 4-3. Junior Dan Jones (Lima/Shawnee) (Lima/Shawnee) then tied the game at 4-4 with a two-out, RBI single through the right side.
Marietta kept the momentum on its side by retiring Muskingum in order in the top of the seventh. The Etta Express then loaded the bases with back-to-back walks by sophomore Jordan Thompson (Quaker City/Buckeye Trail) (Quaker City/Buckeye Trail) and Snyder and then a bunt single by Cimino. Beatty, the next hitter, did his job with a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Thompson to score the winning run in a 5-4 victory.
Snyder, Cimino and Beatty all had two hits in the win. Jared Whittington added a pair of hits in the loss.
Senior Chris Stewart (Dublin/Dublin Coffman) (Dublin/Coffman) earned the win in relief to improve to 3-0 after he retired both batters that he faced in the top of the seventh. Senior T.J. Knowlton (Greenwich/Mapleton) (Greenwich/Mapleton) worked the first 6 1/3 innings, giving up four runs (two earned) on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Levi Shaw got made the start for the Muskies and allowed four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 frames. Jared Patterson took the loss to fall to 4-2. He gave up one run on two hits with two walks.
Muskingum, who out hit Marietta 7-5, also took an early lead with a run in the second inning of the second game. Marietta, who made the only error, answered with a solo home run by Beatty to knot the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame.
The Muskies regained the one-run advantage with their second run of the game in the fourth. The Pioneers fought back to tie it again with a run in the seventh. Senior Brennan Cribbins (Middleburg Heights/Midpark) (Middleburg Heights/Midpark) hit a one-out single. Cribbins then moved to second on a two-out single by DeSico. Both runners advanced a base on a balk. Cribbins scored moments later on a wild pitch to even the score at 2-2.
The score remained tied at 2-2 as the teams entered the ninth. Stewart took over for freshman starter Brian Gasser (New Philadelphia/Indian Valley) (New Philadelphia/Indian Valley) to begin the frame and struck out the first two hitters. He walked the next batter before Wes Carder delivered a RBI double to right field to plate Alex Vaccaro with the go ahead run. Marietta appeared as if it would rally again after Beatty drilled a one-out double to center. However, he was thrown on at third base on the next play, a fielder's choice off the bat of Cribbins. Josh Cornwell then struck out the next hitter to seal the win.
Gasser earned the no decision after working eight strong innings. He scattered two runs on six hits and tied a career high with nine strikeouts. Stewart (3-1) took the loss after allowing one run on one hit and striking out three in one frame.
Isaac Free limited the Pioneers' bats to two runs on five hits and struck out six in 8 1/3 innings to pick up the win and improve to 3-2. Cornwell retired both batters he faced in the game to earn his fourth save of the spring.
Beatty finished with three of Marietta's five hits, while Carder had a three of Muskingum's seven hits in the game.
Marietta is back in action on Saturday (April 18) afternoon when the Pioneers visit rival Otterbein College for a doubleheader that starts at 1 p.m. Fans can listen to the game on WMOA-AM 1490 and online at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/onlinebroadcasts.html.
