Box Score MARIETTA, Ohio – Senior
Evan Brockmeier (Marietta/Marietta) showed his versatility in Marietta College's 8-5 win over La Roche College (Pa.) Wednesday (March 27) afternoon.
Brockmeier, the Pioneer's everyday first baseman, started the game at shortstop and then pitched a pair of shutout innings to earn his second save of the season. At the plate, he was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Marietta, 10-4 overall and ranked No. 5 nationally, jumped on top with two runs in the third and fourth innings.
Senior
Bryan Gregorich (Chardon/Chardon) and freshman
Tim McCoy (Willoughby/St. Ignatius) led off the third with back-to-back singles. Following a sacrifice bunt from freshman
Tyler Packanik (Plant City, Fla./Newsome), senior
Jordan Grilliot (Brookville/Northmont) knocked in Gregorich with a sac fly.
Brockmeier then laced a single down the left field line scoring McCoy for a 2-0 lead.
Control problems plagued La Roche (11-4 overall) starting pitcher Ian Kelly in the fourth. Senior
Aaron Hopper (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg) and junior
Josh Ungerbuehler (Cincinnati/Roger Bacon) were issued walks and senior
Alex Toth (Painesville/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) was hit by a Kelly pitch loading the bases with no outs. Sophomore
Mitch Geers (West Chester/Lakota East) plated Hopper and Ungerbuehler with a single up the middle.
Kelly pitched 4.0 innings and surrendered four runs on four base hits. He walked two and struck out three Pioneer hitters.
With the Ohio Athletic Conference opener just two days away, Marietta head coach
Brian Brewer split the pitching duties. Freshman
Jason Byers (East Granby, Conn./East Granby) started and pitched 2.0 innings of three-hit ball. Senior
Mike Mulvey (Glenshaw, Pa./North Catholic) tossed the next 2.0 innings and allowed two hits and struck out three.
Sophomore
Stephen Bascom (Cincinnati/Indian Hill) (4-1) took over on the mound for Marietta in the fifth inning. Bascom, who would be credited with the win, allowed four runs on five hits in an inning of work. Three of the runs were earned.
La Roche third baseman Brian Tougher and left fielder Anthony Girdano each had RBI doubles in the four-run fifth for the Redhawks.
The Etta Express responded with two runs in the bottom of the fifth off of reliever Walt Hadjuk. Hadjuk (0-1) lasted 1.2 innings and gave up two runs on four hits with a walk.
Grilliot and Brockmeier were the first two batters to face Hadjuk and both singled to start the inning. Hopper picked up his 54th career double to go along with his 19th and 20th RBI of the season putting the Pioneers back in front 6-4.
Marietta added a run in the seventh and another in the eighth inning to extend the lead to 8-5.
Brockmeier shut the door on La Roche tossing the final 2.0 innings. Brockmeier gave up three hits and had one strikeout.
Grilliot and McCoy each had two hits in the game for Marietta. Geers finished 1-for-3 with three runs driven in, while Hopper knocked in two runs with his double.
Tougher went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI, while Girdano was 3-for-4 with a double to lead the Redhawks.
Marietta is scheduled to open OAC play on Friday (March 29) at Ohio Northern University. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. Fans can catch the action live at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter.
