ALLIANCE, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team split an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader at the University of Mount Union Sunday (April 12) afternoon. The Purple Raiders won game one, 4-3, while the Pioneers took the second game, 6-0.
Marietta is now 12-16 on the season and 5-7 in the OAC. Mount Union is 11-15 overall and 4-8 in conference play.
Mount Union scored four runs in the last two innings to come from behind and defeat Marietta 4-3 in the first game. Marietta scored single runs in the first, third and fifth innings.
All three of the Pioneer runs came via the home run.
Cierra Bloom (Dennison/Claymont) led off the game with her first home run of the season.
Brianna Finck (New Lexington/Crooksville) homered in the third and again in the fifth inning to put Marietta ahead 3-0.
Leigh Siedlak's two-run home run in the sixth got the Purple Raiders on the board and cut the deficit to one, 3-2. Marietta retired the first two Mount hitters in the seventh inning and was one out away from victory when Brooke Cox reached on an error to keep the inning alive.
Brittany Baitt followed with a double scoring Cox to tie the game, 3-3. Baitt moved around to third base on another Marietta miscue. Shelby VanSickle delivered a walk-off RBI single to right center plating Baitt with the winning run.
Senior
Alexis O'Hair (Maumee/Maumee) (2-5) was tagged with the loss. O'Hair went 6.2 innings and allowed four runs, only two earned, on seven base hits. She walked one and struck out four.
Allie Scali (3-7) picked up the win for Mount Union in relief. Scali worked 2.2 shutout innings and allowed just one hit. She walked one and struck out one. Erin Simmons started in the circle and tossed 4.1 innings. She gave up three runs on five hits.
Bloom, Finck and
Ashlee Ireland (Carroll/Bloom Carroll) each had two hits in the game for the Pioneers.
Marietta used the long ball to take the early lead in game two.
Kaitlin Klinchock (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) smacked a grand slam in the top of the first as the Pioneers sent nine batters to the plate in its first at bat and led 5-0 after the dust settled.
Ireland hit a solo round tripper in the third inning to push the margin to 6-0.
Kristina LaRocca (Strasburg/Strasburg Franklin) (2-6) started in the circle for Marietta and pitched 6.0 shutout innings for the win. LaRocca gave up seven hits and struck out one.
Alison Kach (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich) threw 1.0 inning of perfect relief.
Sadie Janus (3-2) took the loss for Mount Union. Janus recorded just one out and allowed four runs on four hits. Simmons took over and threw 6.2 innings. Simmons allowed two runs on six hits and struck out a pair.
Ireland,
Brey Mays (Bloomingdale/Indian Creek) and
Ariann Barile (Roaming Shores/Jefferson) each had two hits in the game, while Klinchock notched four RBI.
Marietta hosts Capital University on Tuesday (April 14) for a 3:00 p.m. OAC doubleheader. 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.
