MARIETTA, Ohio – In a battle of NCAA Mideast Region heavyweights, the No. 2 ranked Marietta College Pioneers defeated Washington & Jefferson College by the score of 9-5 Monday (April 9) evening at Don Schaly Stadium. The Etta Express improves to 18-4 on the season, while the Presidents fall to 16-4 overall. [Box Score]

Marietta right fielder #Jordan Grilliot (Brookville/Northmont)# returned to the lineup and led off the bottom of the first inning with an infield single. Following a sac bunt by second baseman #Kirby Becker (South Euclid/St. Ignatius)# and a walk to shortstop #Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance)#, center fielder #Aaron Hopper (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg)# tripled to the right-center gap giving the Pioneers a 2-0 lead.

After going down in order in the first and second innings, Washington & Jefferson broke out the bats in the third.

Designated hitter Derek McIlvane led off with a single and scored on a double by first baseman Tyler Schultz. Second baseman Scott Liller followed with an RBI triple into the right field corner. Liller later scored on a sac fly off the bat of shortstop Aaron Klinec giving the Presidents a 3-2 lead.

The lead was short lived as the Etta Express responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. First baseman #Evan Brockmeier# knocked in left fielder #Mitch Geers (West Chester/Lakota East)#, who reached on a double, with a single up the middle. Brockmeier came around to score on an RBI single by third baseman #Bryan Gregorich (Chardon/Chardon)#.

The Pioneers extended their lead with two runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Hopper had an RBI double and Geers drove in a run with a single to right. Becker picked up Marietta's final RBI with a single through the right side of the infield in the fifth.

Hopper ended the day 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three runs batted in. Geers was also 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Grilliot and Gregorich each had two hits for the Pioneers.

Senior #Mike Mahaffey (Worthington/Bishop Watterson)# (4-1) collected the win. Mahaffey pitched five innings and allowed five runs on five hits with five strikeouts. Junior #Michael Mulvey# went two innings and struck out three as he faced the minimum.

Seniors #Logan Lewis (Nashport/Tri-Valley)# and #Kyle Lindquist (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne)# each threw one inning. Lewis retired all three hitters he faced including one strikeout. Lindquist allowed one hit and had a strikeout.

Marietta travels to New Concord on Wednesday (April 11) for a key Ohio Athletic Conference twinbill at Muskingum University. The Pioneers and Muskies are currently tied at the top of the OAC standings with a 5-1 league record.