MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College baseball wrapped up its busy Alumni Weekend with an 8-5 victory over visiting Denison University in non-conference, regional action Sunday (April 26) night at Don Schaly Stadium. The Pioneers, who won five of six games over a six-day stretch, improved their record to 23-11. The Big Red fell to 18-19.

Sophomore starter Mark Williams (Fayetteville/Perry) (Fayetteville/Perry) earned the win to move to 3-2. The right-hander scattered five runs on 14 hits, walked one and struck out three in six innings of work. Freshman Kyle Lindquist (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) threw two scoreless frames, striking out four, and senior Chris Stewart (Dublin/Dublin Coffman) (Dublin/Coffman) worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save of the spring.

Denison was the first to score as it plated two runs in the second inning. Marietta answered with two runs of its own the bottom of the frame to tie the game at 2-2. Junior Casey Levens (Dayton/Centerville) (Dayton/Centerville) began the inning with a home run off the scoreboard in left center field. Three straight singles from junior Matt DeSico (Euclid/Euclid) (Euclid), junior Tyler Penwell (Washington Court House/Washington Court House) (Washington Court House) and Lindquist loaded the bases. After a fielder's choice retired DeSico at the plate, sophomore Jordan Thompson (Quaker City/Buckeye Trail) (Quaker City/Buckeye Trail) dropped a bunt down the third base line for a RBI single, which scored Penwell.

The Big Red came right back with a run in the third to regain the advantage. Marietta took its first lead of the night after scoring three runs in the fourth. Lindquist opened the frame with a double. Freshman Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance) (Alliance) followed with a bunt single. Thompson drove in Lindquist with a single to left field. Junior Chris Beatty (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton) (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton) then hit a two-out triple down the right field line to plate Thompson. Levens, the next hitter, drove in Beatty with a single to give the Pioneers a 5-3 lead.

Denison knotted the game up at 5-5 with two more runs in the sixth. Marietta, however, regained the advantage with two more runs in the bottom of the frame. Saunders reached on a single and later scored on a passed ball. Thompson then reached on an error and scored on Beatty's second triple of the game.

Marietta capped the scoring with a run in the eighth. Senior Cameron Cimino (Boardman/Boardman) (Boardman) singled and stole second base. He later scored on a sacrifice fly by Levens to give the Etta Express an 8-5 lead.

Lindquist led the Pioneers with three hits in four at-bats. Thompson, Beatty, Levens and Saunders all had a pair of hits for Marietta, who finished with 16 on the night. David Holmes and Park Smith both finished with three hits for Denison, who had 14. Both teams made one error in the game.

Marietta will now concentrate on final exams before rounding out its Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) slate at Ohio Northern University on Saturday (May 2). First pitch is set for 1 p.m. The Etta Express has already wrapped up a spot in the four-team OAC Tournament, which begins May 7 in either Tiffin or University Heights. Marietta has competed in every OAC Tournament since it began in 1985.