Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ALLIANCE, Ohio – The Marietta College softball team opened play in the Ohio Athletic Conference with a doubleheader split at Mount Union Wednesday (March 21) afternoon. The Pioneers are 7-5 overall and 1-1 in the OAC. The Purple Raiders are 9-11, 1-1 OAC. [Game One Box] [Game Two Box]

The Pioneers won the first game in 10 innings by the score of 8-4. The Purple Raiders won the nightcap, 3-1, in five innings as the game was halted due to darkness.

In the first game, Marietta took a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning. Four Pioneer errors led to three Mount Union runs tying the game at 4-4.

Marietta loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth inning but couldn't push a run across.

Hannah Tarski (Independence/Independence) led off the tenth inning with a single for the Pioneers. All hands were safe on the sacrifice bunt by Kirstie Welch (Pickerington/North) when Tarski beat the throw at second. A base hit bunt by Allison Keller loaded the bases with no outs.

Tarski scored on a Purple Raider error and then RBI singles by Katie Swejk (Tallmadge/Tallmadge), Sarah Mayo (Proctorville/Chesapeake) and Michelle Sayre (Ripley, W.Va./Ripley) gave the Pioneers an 8-4 lead.

Brittany Papp and Katelin Fields led off the bottom of the tenth for Mount Union with a double and a single, respectively. However, freshman pitcher Alexis O'Hair retired the next three Purple Raiders to secure the win.

O'Hair (4-3) threw 4.2 innings of relief to get the win. She allowed three runs, one earned, on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Classmate Emily Estrich (Sylvania/Southview) started in the circle and went 5.1 innings. Estrich gave up one earned run on three hits with six walks and three strikeouts.

Rachel McAninch (4-6) went the distance in the losing effort. McAninch threw 10.0 innings giving up eight runs, four earned, on 14 hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

Sayre went 3-for-6 with a double and an RBI. Swejk, Mayo, Tarski and Marissa McDaniel each had two hits for the Pioneers. Mayo and McDaniel drove in two runs each, while McDaniel had a double.

In the second game, Mount Union plated two runs in the bottom of the third inning to break a 1-1 tie. The big hit was a two-run double off the bat of Leigh Siedlak.

Bre Willis (3-5) got the complete-game victory. Willis pitched 5.0 innings and gave up one run on three hits with four walks and four strikeouts.

Estrich (3-1) started and got the loss for Marietta. Estrich pitched 2.2 innings allowing three runs on six hits. She walked two and had one strikeout. O'Hair threw the final 1.1 innings and gave up one hit.

Mayo, Sayre and Welch each had a hit for the Pioneers. Mayo doubled and Sayre drove in Marietta's lone run in the shortened game.

The Pioneers have their home opener this Saturday (March 24) when Wilmington College comes to Marietta Field for a 1 p.m. twinbill.