WILMINGTON, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team opened Ohio Athletic Conference play with a doubleheader split at Wilmington College Saturday (March 21) afternoon. The Pioneers lost game one, 7-4, before posting an 8-4 win in game two.
Marietta is 5-7 overall and 1-1 in the OAC. Wilmington stands at 5-11 on the season and 1-1 in conference play.
The Pioneers took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning of game one. Marietta plated one in the top of the first on an RBI single from
Kaitlin Klinchock (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon).
Brey Mays (Bloomingdale/Indian Creek) and
Rachel Montgomery (Massillon/Perry) each drove in a run with base hits in the Pioneers' three-run sixth.
Wilmington answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead. The big blow was a three-run home run off the bat of Kerrie Trautman.
Senior
Alexis O'Hair (Maumee/Maumee) made her first start of the season in the circle for Marietta. O'Hair pitched 3.2 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits.
Alison Kach (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich) (1-2) took the loss tossing 2.1 innings of relief. She gave up four runs on four hits.
Beth Persicano (2-7) threw a complete-game to get the win. She worked 7.0 innings and allowed four runs on 12 base hits. Persicano walked one and struck out four.
The middle of the Pioneer lineup was responsible for most of Marietta's offense. The four, five and six hitters went a combined 8-for-12. Klinchock and
Ashlee Ireland (Carroll/Bloom Carroll) were each 3-for-4, while
Cierra Bloom (Dennison/Claymont) had two hits. Montgomery also finished with a pair of hits.
In the nite cap, Marietta jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Klinchock plated a run in the first with an RBI-double and Montgomery made it 3-0 with a two-run single. Klinchock added another RBI in the second when she reached on a fielder's choice.
Wilmington scored four times in the third to knot the score at 4-4. The Pioneers fought right back plating two in the fourth and then one in the sixth and seventh innings for the win.
Klinchock drove in her third run of the game with a double in the fourth. Ireland notched the first of her two RBIs with a single to score Klinchock. Ireland added a run-scoring single in the sixth as well.
Kristina LaRocca (Strasburg/Strasburg Franklin) (1-4) notched her first collegiate win in relief of starter
Lauren Larrick (Leesburg/Fairfield Local). LaRocca tossed 4.1 innings of shutout relief scattering three hits. Larrick worked 2.2 innings and was charged with four runs on three hits.
Caitlin Matthews started and threw 1.1 innings for the Quakers. She gave up four runs on five hits. Trautman (3-3) took the loss working 5.2 innings and surrendering four runs on 11 hits.
Bloom collected four hits for the Pioneers.
Courtney Kerwood (Nashport/Tri-Valley),
Brianna Finck (New Lexington/Crooksville) Klinchock and Ireland all had two hits in the game. Klinchock recorded a pair of doubles.
The Pioneers open their home schedule Sunday (March 22) with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader with Kenyon College. The games were originally scheduled at Kenyon, but field conditions forced the games to be moved to Marietta.
Fans can follow the Pioneers all season long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
