MARIETTA, Ohio — It was a historic day at Marietta Field Tuesday (April 20) afternoon when Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) softball rivals Marietta College and Muskingum University split a doubleheader. Fighting Muskie Head Coach Donna Newberry, the all-time career wins leader in NCAA Division III, notched her 900th career victory when her squad took the opener 8-3. The Pioneers salvaged the split with a 3-2 win in game two. [Game 1 Box Score] [Game 2 Box Score]

Muskingum (16-16, 6-6 OAC) out hit Marietta (17-12, 5-7 OAC) 13-9 and both teams made three errors in the opener.

Muskingum wasted no time jumping ahead in game one as it plated three runs in the top of the first and added another in the top of the second. Marietta got on the board when freshman designated hitter #Marissa McDaniel# singled home freshman shortstop #Michelle Sayre (Ripley, W.Va./Ripley)#, who led off the frame with a single.

The Muskies increased their advantage to 6-1 with a two-run fourth, while the Pioneers answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Freshman second baseman #Katie Swejk (Tallmadge/Tallmadge)# singled and scored on a Sayre RBI hit to center. Junior left fielder #Hope Cowoski (Perry/Perry)# also singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior right fielder #Ashley Eberhardt (Massillon/Tuslaw)#.

Muskingum came with back with two more runs in the top of the sixth to increase its lead back to five runs, 8-3. The Pioneers did not get any closer down the stretch, enabling Coach Newberry to pick up her 900th career win.

Swejk and Sayre both finished 2-for-3 with a run scored to lead Marietta's offense. Aly Mazzeli and Ashley Price had three hits in the win for Muskingum.

Price also earned the victory on the mound with a complete-game effort. She scattered three runs (two earned) on nine hits, walked one and struck out four to improve to 8-6 on the season. Freshman #Chelsea Chaffin (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg)# took the loss to fall to 8-7. Chaffin allowed four runs on five hits in two innings. Junior #Amanda Strong (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South)# worked the final five frames and gave up four runs on eight hits.

Chaffin bounced back in game two to pick up the complete game victory, which moved her record to 9-7. She scattered two runs on nine hits over the seven innings. Carissa Diebler (4-5) suffered the loss after she allowed three runs on 12 hits in five innings.

Marietta finished with 12 hits and did not make an error, while Muskingum had nine hits and one error in game two.

The Muskies struck first with a run in the first inning of the nightcap. Marietta, however, took the lead for good with a two-run third. Cowoski got things going with an infield single. Senior catcher #Katie Woolf (Louisville/Louisville)# followed with another single to center, which got away from the Muskie fielder and enabled Cowoski to score. Sayre then came through with a RBI single up the middle to plate Woolf with the second run of the inning.

In the fifth, Sayre added to Marietta's lead with a solo home run to right center, her seventh of the spring. Muskingum plated a run in the top of the seventh, but Chaffin got out of the jam to preserve the 3-2 victory.

Sayre and junior first baseman #Cassady Busellato (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson)# both finished 3-for-3, while Cowoski and Woolf added two hits in the win. Katie Reese, Mary Margaret Boda and Jendy Weppler collected a pair of its in the loss.

Marietta is back in action Saturday (April 24) when it plays host to John Carroll University in a doubleheader slated to start at 1 p.m. The Pioneers will then visits Mount Union College Sunday (April 25) for another twinbill at 1 p.m.