KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Marietta College softball team's 2011 campaign got underway Sunday (March 5) at the Rebel Spring Games. The Pioneers (1-1) started off strong by defeating the College of Mount St. Joseph 6-0 in game one, but they fell 9-0 to Albion College in the nightcap. [Game 1 Box Score] [Game 2 Box Score]

Sophomore Chelsea Chaffin (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg) recorded her first victory of the season in the opener versus Mount St. Joseph (0-2). Chaffin allowed no runs on only one hit with nine strikeouts.

The Pioneers broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth. Ten Pioneer batters went to the plate as Marietta plated all six of its runs on seven hits in the inning.

Senior Maureen Kertes (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) singled in the first run of the season for the Pioneers. Chaffin then clubbed a double over the center fielder's head to plate two more runs. Sophomore Katie Swejk (Tallmadge/Tallmadge) belted a triple, scoring Chaffin and later scored on a Marissa McDaniel single. Sophomore Michelle Sayre (Ripley, W.Va./Ripley) capped the Pioneer rally with a double to drive in McDaniel and put Marietta ahead 6-0.

Nine Pioneer batters recorded a hit against the Lions. Chaffin led the way with two RBI, while Swejk, McDaniel and Sayre all recorded a RBI each.

Game two saw Albion (3-1) plate three runs in the top of the first inning against junior pitcher Megan Born (Delta/Pike-Delta-York). Born (0-1), who lasted only one-third of an inning, gave up three runs on one hit with four walks. Sophomore Kirstie Welch (Pickerington/North) entered in relief to close out the first with no more harm done.

Albion added two more runs on a Alyssa Castillo home run to dead center and led 5-0 after three frames. Three more Briton runs in the fourth knocked out Welch. She was replaced by junior Hazel Brogdon (Chugiak, Alaska/Chugiak), who allowed one more run, which made the score 9-0 in favor of the Britons.

Albion then kept the Pioneers scoreless in the fifth and the game ended with the Britons claiming the 9-0 victory.

Sophomore Trayla Liles (Tollesboro, Ky./Lewis County) went 3-for-3 with a double and two singles as Marietta produced five hits in game two.

Kaitlyn Downy (2-0) got the win for Albion, who had three players collect a pair of hits in the win.

Marietta will return to action at 1 p.m. Monday (Mar. 7) against Bluffton University and then at 3 p.m. versus Trine University.