ADRIAN, Mich. — The third-seeded Marietta College baseball team scored six unanswered runs in a 6-2 victory over second-seeded the College of Wooster in game nine of the
2009 NCAA Mideast Regional Tournament on Sunday (May 17) afternoon on the campus of Adrian (Mich.) College.
With the victory, the Etta Express (32-16) kept its season alive and advanced to the championship game of the six-team tournament. Marietta, who will look to win its record 21st Mideast Regional crown, will take on Wooster (37-9) for the third straight day as the Fighting Scots eliminated fourth-seeded Adrian (Mich.) 8-2 later in the day. The championship match-up will take place on Monday (May 18) at 12 p.m.
Marietta's offense took advantage of six Wooster errors to avenge Saturday (May 16) afternoon's 13-3 loss. The Etta Express also received an exceptional effort from sophomore reliever Mark Williams (Fayetteville/Perry) (Fayetteville/Perry). Williams, who improved to 5-2, held the Fighting Scots' bats to just three hits over five frames. The right-hander walked three but struck out six in the win.
Wooster struck first with a pair of runs in its initial at-bat. The Pioneers aided the Fighting Scots by committing their first error of the tournament, which led to only one earned run against Marietta's freshman starter Brian Gasser (New Philadelphia/Indian Valley) (New Philadelphia/Indian Valley).
The Etta Express took advantage of three Fighting Scot miscues in the bottom of the third to gain its first lead of the day, 3-2. Sophomore John Snyder (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) (Altoona, Pa.) hit a one-out single. Senior Cameron Cimino (Boardman/Boardman) (Boardman) followed with an infield single; Snyder moved to third on a throwing error. Junior Chris Beatty (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton) (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton) picked up a RBI after reaching on the second error of the frame. Sophomore Casey Levens (Dayton/Centerville) (Dayton/Centerville) hit into fielder's choice with Cimino forced out at third base on the play. Junior Matt DeSico (Euclid/Euclid) (Euclid) then came through with a RBI single to center; Levens also scored when the ball got away from the Wooster center fielder.
Neither starter made it into the fourth inning. Wooster's Anthony Trapuzzano allowed three unearned runs on three hits in 2 2/3 frames. Trapuzzano, who took the loss to fall to 5-1, walked two and struck out a pair. Gasser gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits in three innings. He had both one strikeout and one walk in the game.
Marietta extended its lead with three more runs in the fourth. Freshman Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance) (Alliance) hit a bunt single with one out and then stole second base. Freshman Niko Stanislav (Olmsted Falls/Berea) (Olmsted Falls/Berea) followed another infield single, moving Saunders to third. A walk to Snyder loaded the bases. Cimino then drove in a run by reaching on an error, the Fighting Scots' fifth of the game. Beatty made them pay with a two-run single through the left side to give Marietta the 6-2 advantage.
The combination of Williams and senior left-hander Chris Stewart (Dublin/Dublin Coffman) (Dublin/Coffman), who pitched a perfect ninth, helped seal the 6-2 win.
Both teams finished with seven hits, all singles, in a game that featured nine errors—three by the Pioneers and six by the Fighting Scots. Seven different Marietta players had a hit, including Beatty, who drove in a game-high three runs to boost his season total to 56. Stu Beath and Matthew Pierce both had a pair of hits for Wooster in the loss.
Marietta fans can listen to all of the Pioneer's Mideast Regional action on WMOA-AM 1490 and online at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/onlinebroadcasts.html.Live statistics of all the games will also be available at http://www.adrian.edu/sports/livestats/xlive.htm.
