WESTERVILLE, Ohio — Host Otterbein College slugged its way to an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) doubleheader sweep of the #15 Marietta College baseball team Saturday (April 18) afternoon. The Cardinals smashed five home runs in a 12-1 victory to open the day and then hit two more to help it win the nightcap 7-3. The losses dropped the Pioneers' record to 18-10 overall and 9-5 in the OAC. The Cardinals improved to 15-10, 7-5 in league play.
Senior Jason Baumler (Crownsville, Md./Old Mill) (Crownsville, Md./Old Mill) suffered the loss in the opener after allowing nine runs (five earned) on six hits in 3 2/3 innings. Baumler (2-2) walked three, hit three and fanned one in the game.
Otterbein hit a solo shot and a three-run home run in the second to take a 4-0 lead. The Etta Express plated its only run in the third on a RBI single to right field by senior Brennan Cribbins (Middleburg Heights/Midpark) (Middleburg Heights/Midpark). Junior Dan Jones (Lima/Shawnee) (Lima/Shawnee) scored after reaching on an error earlier in the frame. The Cardinals extended their lead with a run in the bottom of the third. They then added four more runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and their final two runs in the sixth en route to a 12-1 win.
Otterbein out hit Marietta 9-6 in the game. The Pioneers had two errors and the Cardinals finished with three. Senior Cameron Cimino (Boardman/Boardman) (Boardman) had a pair of hits, both doubles, in the loss.
Sophomore Mark Williams (Fayetteville/Perry) (Fayetteville/Perry) was handed the loss in the second game. He gave up five runs on four hits in four innings. Williams (1-2) walked three, hit two and struck out one in the loss.
The Cardinals, who out hit the Pioneers 11-4, took a 1-0 lead with a run in the first. Otterbein stretched its advantage to 5-0 after a four-run fourth. Marietta pulled within striking distance with a three-run sixth. Cribbins had a one-out double. Junior Chris Beatty (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton) (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton), junior Matt DeSico (Euclid/Euclid) (Euclid) and sophomore Casey Levens (Dayton/Centerville) (Dayton/Centerville) all added two-out RBI doubles in the frame. Otterbein, however, answered with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on its way to the 7-3 win.
Marietta will look to rebound on Tuesday (April 21) when the Pioneers play host to Waynesburg (Pa.) University. First pitch of the game, which was not originally on the schedule, is slated for 7 p.m. Fans can listen to the game on WMOA-AM 1490 and online at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/onlinebroadcasts.html. Live stats will be available at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/livestats/xlive.htm.
