DEMOREST, Ga. – In a battle of top-10 ranked teams, the No. 1 ranked Marietta College Pioneers lost a 4-1 decision to No. 10 ranked Piedmont College Friday (March 9) evening at Loudermilk Field. The loss drops the Pioneers to 3-1 on the season, while the Lions improve to 13-3 overall. [
Box Score]
It was an old-fashioned pitcher's duel between senior #
Austin Blaski (Pandora/Gilboa)# and Piedmont junior Kevin Caldwell. Through four innings each pitcher had allowed only one hit and no runs.
Marietta got on the board first in the top of the fifth inning. First baseman #
Evan Brockmeier# lead off the inning with a base hit bunt. Designated hitter #
Braden Park (Oxford/Talawanda)# sacrificed Brockmeier into scoring position. Caldwell hit third baseman #
Bryan Gregorich (Chardon/Chardon)# with a pitch and struck out leftfielder #
Niko Stanislav (Olmsted Falls/Berea)# for the second out.
He appeared to be out of trouble when right fielder #
Jordan Grilliot (Brookville/Northmont)# grounded to the second baseman. However, the Lions couldn't come up with the ball and all hands were safe. A second fielding error, this time by the shortstop, on a grounder by second baseman #
Kirby Becker (South Euclid/St. Ignatius)# allowed Brockmeier to score giving Marietta the 1-0 lead.
After surrendering a lead off single in the bottom of the third inning, Blaski retired 12 straight Lion hitters and appeared to have the game under control. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Piedmont's first baseman Curtis Cornett and catcher Chris Lew singled giving the Lions runners on the corners with one out.
A squeeze bunt by second baseman Tim Nunez scored Cornett to tie the game, 1-1. On the bunt, Marietta threw the ball away at the plate allowing the runners to move to second and third. Marietta intentionally walked third baseman Ethan Miers to load the bases with one out.
A two-run single to center by centerfielder Tate Koons got by the Pioneers and all the way to the fence clearing the bases and giving Piedmont a 4-1 lead. Three of the Lions' runs in the inning were unearned.
The Pioneers couldn't mount a rally in the eighth or ninth inning. Piedmont closer senior Ed Cook pitched the final two innings to record his fifth save of the season. Caldwell improved to 5-0 after pitching 7.0 innings and allowing one unearned run on three hits. He walked three and struck out six.
Blaski (1-1) took the loss. He threw 7.0 innings and allowed four runs, one earned, on five hits. He walked one and struck out nine. Senior #
Logan Lewis (Nashport/Tri-Valley)# threw an inning of shutout relief.
Brockmeier was the lone Pioneer to collect two hits in the game. He ended the day 2-for-2 with two walks. Senior shortstop #
Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance)# and Gregorich had Marietta's other two hits.
Marietta and Piedmont will play again tomorrow. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
