TIFFIN, Ohio — #3 Heidelberg University rallied for a 12-11 victory over #17 Marietta College Friday (May 14) morning to advance to the title game of the 2010 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament at Peaceful Valley. [Box Score]
The loss sends the second-seeded Pioneers (31-10) to the loser's bracket where they will meet the winner of the third-seeded John Carroll University and fourth-seeded Muskingum University match-up, which is slated for 1:30 p.m. The top-seeded Student Princes (36-6) will await the last team standing after Friday's 5 p.m. battle. The OAC championship game is scheduled for Saturday (May 15) at 12 p.m. The Etta Express will now need to win three straight to capture its record 28th OAC Tournament title. Live stats will be available at http://herald.heidelberg.edu/statcrew/bb/xlive.htm
A pair of solo home runs helped Heidelberg take the early lead in the top of the first. Marietta stormed back with a five-spot in its first at-bat. Junior center fielder #Britt Meador (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne)# led off the frame with a solo home run. Walks to three of the next four hitters set the stage for junior first baseman #Casey Levens (Dayton/Centerville)#. Levens connected on a one-out grand slam, his second home run of the tournament.
Meador picked up his second RBI in as many innings when he hit a single up the middle to drive in freshman right fielder #Jordan Grilliot (Brookville/Northmont)#. Grilliot began the second frame with a walk, stole second and raced around to score on Meador's single.
Both teams were quiet until the fifth when the Student Princes scored four runs to tie the game at 6-6. The Pioneers once again answered the challenge, this time by scoring four runs of their own to regain the 10-6 advantage. Marietta used small ball to plate the first run. Senior catcher #Dan Jones (Lima/Shawnee)# led off the inning with a single, which extended his hitting streak to 23 games. He then raced to third on a hit-and-run single by junior center fielder #John Snyder (Altoona, Pa./Altoona)# and scored on a #Chris Beatty (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton)# sacrifice fly. Three straight two-out hits produced the next three runs. Levens reached on an infield single. Sophomore second baseman #Kirby Becker (South Euclid/St. Ignatius)# drove in Snyder with his single through the right side, and sophomore shortstop #Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance)# picked up two RBI with his single to left.
Meador deposited his second solo home run of the game to left in the bottom of the sixth to boost Marietta's lead up to five runs, 11-6. The advantage was short lived, however, as Heidelberg erased the deficit with a six-run seventh to take a 12-11 lead. Closer Andy Lowe shut down the Pioneer bats the rest of the way to seal Heidelberg's trip to the finals.
Sophomore starter #Brian Gasser (New Philadelphia/Indian Valley)# scattered six runs (four earned) on seven hits, overcame two walks and struck out four in his six innings of work but did not factor into the decision. Sophomore #Kyle Lindquist (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne)# took the loss to fall to 1-1 after he was tagged for six runs (five earned) on six hits in just 2/3 of an inning. Junior #Mark Williams (Fayetteville/Perry)# did not allow Heidelberg to score over the final 2 1/3 frames, allowing just three hits. Sylvester Nino (5-1) earned the win despite giving up five runs on seven hits in four innings of relief. Lowe recorded his tenth save by scattering one hit over three frames.
Meador led Marietta's offense with three hits, including two home runs, and three RBI. Jones also collected three hits, while Snyder and Levens both had two in the loss. Willie Brechun finished 4-for-5 and Ricard Lizcano was 3-for-5 to lead Heidelberg.
WMOA-AM 1490 will broadcast Marietta's game locally and online at http://wmoa1490.com.
