MEMPHI, Tenn. – The top-ranked Marietta College baseball team swept the three-game series from Rhodes College with a convincing 14-1 victory Sunday (Mar. 4) afternoon. The Etta Express moves to 3-0 on the season, while Rhodes falls to 7-7 overall. [Box Score]

The Pioneers scored 13 runs in the first three innings and cruised to the victory. The lone Lynx run of the game was a solo home run by sophomore first baseman Patrick Kilkenny in the bottom of the second inning. Kilkenny accounted for two of four hits on the day for Rhodes.

Senior #Mike Mahaffey (Worthington/Bishop Watterson)# threw 5.0 strong innings to collect the win for Marietta. The right-hander allowed one run on three hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Juniors #Michael Mulvey#, #Luke Langdon (Troy/Troy)# and #Evan Brockmeier# all threw in relief for the Pioneers.

For the third straight game, junior right fielder #Jordan Grilliot (Brookville/Northmont)# reached base safely from the leadoff spot in the order to start the game. Grilliot singled to left to ignite the Pioneers' offense.

Following a sacrifice bunt and two hit batsman to load the bases, a passed ball plated Grilliot. Catcher #Alex Toth (Painesville/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin)# drove in #Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance)# with a sac fly to right field. Brockmeier, the starting first baseman, knocked in #Aaron Hopper (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg)# to give the Express a 3-0 lead.

Senior second baseman #Kirby Becker (South Euclid/St. Ignatius)#, Toth and Brockmeier each drove in a run in Marietta's five-run second inning.

The Pioneers added five more in the third. Beckers, Saunders, Brockmeier, and junior designated hitter #Braden Park (Oxford/Talawanda)# all drove in runs during the rally.

Brockmeier collected four hits in six at bats and dove in three runs. Grilliot and Becker each had three hits, while Saunders and Hopper scored three times each.

Becker, freshman catcher #Roman Gammell (London/West Jefferson)#, and Brockmeier all doubled.

Junior Matt Burnick (2-1) started the game on the mound for the Lynx and took the loss. Burnick went 2.0 innings and allowed eight runs, four earned, on five hits. He walked one and didn't' strikeout a Pioneer.

The next stop for the Etta Express will be Demorest, Ga. The Pioneers begin their annual spring southern trip with games at No. 15 ranked Piedmont College next Friday and Saturday (Mar. 9-10). Game times are set for 7 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Saturday. Marietta will then continue on to Port Charlotte, Fla. to play in the Snowbird Classic.