MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College exploded for nine runs in the middle innings as the Pioneers posted a 15-4 win over visiting Thiel College Tuesday (April 21) at Don Schaly Stadium. The Pioneers improve to 19-12 on the season, while Thiel slips to 23-9 overall.
The Tomcats jumped on top with a run in the first inning. With one out, Josh Doody singled and then moved to third on a double from Trent Smith. Ryan Brumbaugh scored Doody with a ground out to the right side.
Thiel looked to extend its lead in the second inning. A single and double off the top of the fence gave the Tomcats runners at second and third with one out. Marietta freshman starter
Ian Luttrell (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) worked out of trouble with a strikeout and a groundout to keep it a one run game.
After working out of trouble in the second, Luttrell (2-0) settled down and turned in a strong performance for the win. He threw 8.0 innings and allowed four runs on 13 hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
Mike Fulton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) tossed the ninth walking one Tomcat.
Marietta tied the game in the home half of the third inning. With
Tim McCoy (Willoughby/St. Ignatius) at third and
Mitch Geers (West Chester/Lakota East) at first, the Pioneers executed a double steal. Geers got hung up long enough to allow McCoy to scamper home with the tying run.
The Etta Express got rolling in the fourth inning scoring four runs.
Christian Demko (Xenia/Bellbrook) tripled to straight away center field driving in
Jake Newton (Lancaster/Bloom Carroll). McCoy followed with a double to plate Demko.
Chris Winpigler (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) capped the rally with a two-run single to left center.
Aided by a pair of Tomcat errors, the Pioneers added five more runs in the sixth inning to extend the lead to 10-2.
Chris Petrucci (Farmington, W.Va./Notre Dame),
Doug Bennett (New Castle, Pa./Shenango) and Newton each had run-scoring hits in the inning.
Winpigler picked up his third RBI of the game with a single to left in the seventh. He would later score on a base hit from Petrucci as the Pioneers added three runs in the inning.
Thiel added two in the top of the eighth. Trent Mosley hit a solo home run to right field, while Brian Genco picked up an RBI with a single down the left field line.
Ryan Hanahan (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) got in on the fun smacking a two-run home run over the right field fence in the bottom of the eighth. It was Hanahan's team-leading seventh round tripper of the season.
Riley Schwertz (1-2) started on the mound for Thiel and took the loss. He threw 4.0 innings and allowed five runs on six hits. Schwertz walked two and struck out one. He also hit four Pioneer batters. Three other Tomcats toed the rubber as Marietta collected 15 hits in the game.
Winpigler led the Pioneer offense going 3-for-4 with three RBI. Hanahan collected two hits, two RBI and scored three times. Petrucci, Bennett and Newton each had two hits.
Marietta plays a nonconference game at Ohio Wesleyan University Wednesday (April 22) at 4:00 p.m.
Fans can follow the Etta Express 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.
