PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The No. 18-ranked Marietta College baseball team got off to a rocky start in Florida with a pair of losses Sunday (March 12). The Pioneers fell to Susquehanna University 10-0 and then lost to No. 9 St. John Fisher College 9-1 in the second game.
Marietta (2-2 overall) scored its only run of the day with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning against St. John Fisher.
Chandler Palyas (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) tripled driving in
Connor Golden (South Charleston, W.Va./Charleston Catholic) who had reached on a walk.
Susquehanna (2-4) scored a run in the top of the first and then added two in fourth, three in the seventh and four more in the ninth. While the River Hawk offense was banging out 10 hits, freshman pitcher Bobby Grigas was frustrating the Pioneer hitters.
Grigas (2-0) pitched 8.0 innings scattering three hits and striking out seven Pioneers without issuing a walk. He did not allow anyone to reach third base in the game. Tyson Thrush worked a perfect ninth inning striking out one.
Tyler Nieberding (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) (1-1) started on the mound for Marietta and was tagged with the loss. Nieberding threw 6.0 innings and was charged with three run on four hits. He walked three and struck out two.
James Angel (Millersville, Md./Old Mill),
Austin Eaton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) and
Michael Barnabei (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) all threw in relief for Marietta.
Jonathan Pingree (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) and Joe Garnder each double for the Pioneers, while Palyas had a single for MC's other hit in the game.
St. John Fisher (5-4) plated three runs in the second inning en route to the 9-1 victory. The Cardinals added a single run in the fifth, four in the sixth and one more in the ninth.
Unlike the first game, Marietta was able to get runners on base in virtually every inning but stranded 11 in the game. The Pioneers had 11 base hits, 10 of which were singles.
Eric White (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) went 3-for-4.
Greg Peffley (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont) and Barnabei each had two hits and Palyas drove in Marietta's lone run with a triple.
Ian Luttrell (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) (0-1) started on the mound and took the loss. He gave up seven runs, all earned, on nine hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.
Mitch McNabb (Grove City, Ohio/Bishop Ready) allowed one run on one hits, while
Jacob Baker (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) gave up an unearned run on one hit.
Anthony Brophy (3-0) tossed 7.0 shutout innings for the win. He allowed eight hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Allen Murphy and Loukas Brigham each worked an inning of relief.
Marietta is back in action on Monday (March 13) with a 3:30 p.m. game against Webster University. Fans can follow the Etta Express year around at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
