Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MARIETTA, Ohio - After starting off its Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) season in less than stellar fashion, head softball coach Jeanne Arbuckle's Pioneer team needed a few big wins to right the ship and give her team a chance to reach the post season. Her team answered the call on Friday (April 6) afternoon with a doubleheader sweep of Capital University at Marietta Field. [Game One Box] [Game Two Box]

The Pioneers held off the Crusaders 5-4 in game one and then cruised to a 9-4 victory in the nightcap. The sweep brings Marietta's overall record to 14-10 and 4-4 in the OAC. Capital falls to 17-8 and 3-2 in the OAC.

Freshman Alexis O'Hair took the game one win improving her record to 9-4 on the season. O'Hair went all seven innings allowing four runs on 11 hits with three strikeouts.

After allowing a Capital run in the top of the first, the Pioneers quckly jumped ahead with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Junior Katie Swejk (Tallmadge/Tallmadge) led off with a single to right center, then stole second, her 14th on 14 attempts on the year. Freshman Sarah Mayo (Proctorville/Chesapeake) then scored a single to left, advancing Swejk to third. Junior Michelle Sayre (Ripley, W.Va./Ripley) smashed a double over the center fielder to score both Swejk and Mayo giving Marietta the early 2-1 advantage.

Sayre came up in the third with Mayo on second and delivered again, this time with a hard hit single to left center, which allowed Mayo to score and put the Pioneers up 3-1 through three.

Capital got one back in the fifth to make the score 3-2. Marietta responded when junior Marissa McDaniel doubled down the left field line to score Mayo all the way from first and put Marietta ahead 4-2.

Capital scored one in the sixth, but was again answered by a Pioneer run in the bottom half of the inning. Swejk took advantage of her two-out at bat by blasting a double to right field, allowing senior Hazel Brogdon (Chugiak, Alaska/Chugiak) to score from second, giving Marietta a 5-3 lead through six.

Capital threatened in the seventh, by scoring one run, and had the tying run on second with one out. O'Hair settled down and forced the next two Crusader batters to go down, giving Marietta the 5-4 win.

Sayre led the way offensively in game one going 2-for-2 with three RBIs. Swejk went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while McDaniel went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Mayo went 2-for-4 with three runs scored while junior Kirstie Welch (Pickerington/North) went 2-for-3 in the game one victory.

Freshman Emily Estrich (Sylvania/Southview) took the game two victory for the Pioneers. Estrich (4-5) went six and two-thirds innings allowing four runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and five walks. Brogdon came in the seventh to get the final out for Marietta.

The Pioneers jumped all over the Crusaders in the nightcap, scoring five runs in the second inning. Brogdon belted a single to right field with the bases loaded scoring the first run of the frame. Sophomore Michelle Kelley (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) then doubled down the left field line allowing two runs to cross putting Marietta ahead 3-0. Swejk came in and doubled to score another run, then scored off of Mayo's single to center making the score 5-0 through two innings.

Brogdon drove in the only Pioneer run in the third with a single to left center allowing Sayre to score and put Marietta up 6-0 through three.

Capital would get two back in the fourth making it 6-2. After shutting down the Crusaders in the fifth, Marietta would plate three more in the bottom half of the frame. Brogdon drove home her third RBI of the nightcap with a bases loaded groundout to start the rally. Sophomore Jessa Ott (Baltic/Garaway) then hit a pinch hit single to right scoring two more Pioneer runs and making the score 9-2 through five.

Capital would threaten in the seventh, scoring two runs in the frame, but were eventually retired as the Pioneers won handily 9-4 in game two.

Brogdon led the way in game two going 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Kelley and Ott each recorded two RBIs in the nightcap. Swejk went 2-for-3 with a RBI while Mayo went 1-for-3 with the Pioneer RBI.

Marietta will return to action on Monday (April 9) afternoon as it will play host to Ohio Wesleyan for a doubleheader at Marietta Field. First pitch of game one is slated for 3:30 p.m.