MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team dropped its second straight Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) doubleheader on Thursday (April 16) afternoon, the third annual Community Softball Day at Marietta Field. Mount Union College was the latest opponent as it won the opener 8-0 in five innings and then took the nightcap 10-3. The losses dropped the Pioneers' record to 20-10 overall and 7-5 in the OAC. The Purple Raiders improved to 21-13 and 7-5 in the OAC.
In game one, Mount Union capitalized off three Marietta errors over the course of the second and third innings to plate three runs in each frame and take a 6-0 lead after three. Mount Union added a run in the fourth and another in the sixth to increase its lead to 8-0. The game ended after five innings because of the eight-run rule in collegiate softball.
Senior Erin Faulkner (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg) (Wheelersburg) fell to 10-5 on the season. The right-hander gave up eight runs (five earned) on nine hits and finished with one strikeout and one walk in five innings.
The Pioneers managed only three hits off Purple Raider starter Bre Willis, who improved to 6-6 with the win.
Mount Union led 1-0 early in game two after a solo home run from Erin Horning in the top of the first. Marietta Sophomore Cassady Busellato (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson) (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson) gave her team the 2-1 lead with a two-run home run over the left field wall in the second inning.
Mount Union answered with three runs in the third and two more in the fourth to lead 6-2 after four frames. After a scoreless fifth, the Purple Raiders plated three more in the sixth and another in the seventh to extend their advantage to 10-2. The Pioneers plated one run in the bottom of the seventh but fell 10-3.
Sophomore Amanda Strong (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) dropped to 7-4 on the year after she went three innings, allowed four runs on four hits and finished with one strikeout and two walks. Freshman Megan Born (Delta/Pike-Delta-York) (Delta/Pike-Delta-York) came in to pitch the final four innings, allowing six runs on eight hits to go along with four strikeouts and one walk.
Busellato went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Freshman Kaitlyn Schwartz (Westerville/St. Francis DeSales) (Westerville/DeSales) pinch hit in the seventh and drove in a run with a single to left field.
The Pioneers are back in action Saturday (April 18) afternoon when they host Heidelberg University. Marietta will honor its three seniors—Faulkner, Nikki Driscoll (Bellaire/Bellaire) (Bellaire) and Emily McComb (Gnadenhutten/Indian Valley) (Gnadenhutten/Indian Valley)—before the first game. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
