MARIETTA, Ohio – Marietta College scored two touchdowns in the final six and a half minutes but it wasn't quite enough as the Pioneers fell to Case Western Reserve University by the score of 26-23 Saturday (Sept. 1) evening in the season-opener for both schools. [Photo Gallery]  [Photo Gallery]

Marietta scored the first 10 points of the game, including a 47-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback #Tom Fulton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills)# to junior wide receiver #Kirby Harris (Greenville, S.C./South Side)# less than two minutes into the game. Freshman kicker #Conor Durina (Poland/Cardinal Mooney)# hit a 20-yard field goal to increase the lead to 10-0 in the first quarter.

Case Western responded with 26 unanswered points. The Spartans got a 26-yard field goal from freshman Won Kun Park with 4:53 remaining in the first half. Sophomore running back Manny Sicre tied the game when he dove in from three yards out with 51 seconds left to tie the game at the break.

Case senior quarterback Erik Olson hit sophomore Sean Lapcevic on an eight yard scoring strike to put the Spartans ahead 16-0. Olson added a rushing touchdown on a five-yard scamper. Park hit the extra point extending the lead to 23-10. Park then nailed his second field goal of the game, this one from 33 yards out making it 26-10 with 12:15 left in the game.

Fulton, who took over the starting role after three-year starter Andrew Keller (Cincinnati/Glen Este) graduated, tried to bring the Pioneers all the way back. Fulton led Marietta on a nine-play, 73-yard scoring drive culminating in a seven-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver #Linard Williams (Canoga Park, Calif./El Camino Real)#.

On the Spartans' next possession, Olson dropped back to pass but decided to pull the ball down and run it. However, he fumbled the ball and freshman linebacker #Nick Thompson (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster)# recovered the ball for Marietta on the Case 29-yard line.

Three plays later, Fulton connected with Williams again for a touchdown, this one from eight yards out, cutting the Spartan lead to 26-23 with 4:35 left on the clock.

With all of their timeouts remaining, Marietta decided to kick the ball away and rely on its defense. The Pioneers forced a third down and 13 to go from near midfield when Sicre broke off a 17-yard run for the first down. The Spartans would run the clock out for the victory.

Fulton completed 21-of-37 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted once and sacked six times. Junior wide receiver #Tannon Roberts (West Palm Beach, Fla./Berean Christian)# caught six passes for 142 yards.

Harris also hauled in six aerials for 109 yards and a touchdown. Williams finished with five catches for 26 yards and the two scores. Junior #Chris Sanders (Willoughby/St. Ignatius)# was Marietta's leading rusher with nine carries for 31 yards.

Olson completed 10-of-18 passes for 196 yards. He had one touchdown and one interception and was sacked four times. Lapcevic caught four passes for 81 yards and a score.

Junior Kenny Riordan carried the ball 19 times for 155 yards. Sicre gained 85 yards on 15 carries and had a touchdown.

Marietta junior linebacker #Jake Hammer (Wadsworth/St. Vincent-St. Mary)# led all tacklers with 11 stops. Thompson had 10 tackles and the fumble recovery, while junior defensive back #Robert Brown (Middleburg, Fla./Nathan B. Forrest)# had eight tackles and senior linebacker #Kadeem Corbin (Cheltenham, Md./Fredrick Douglas)# made seven tackles.

Marietta is off next weekend and then the Pioneers travel to Columbus on September 15th for a 2 p.m. kick off at Capital University.