MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College and the University of Mount Union split an Ohio Athletic Conference baseball twinbill Saturday (March 25) at Don Schaly Stadium. Mount Union won game one, 8-3, and the Etta Express salvaged a split with an 8-2 win in the second game.
Marietta is 6-7 overall and 1-1 in the OAC. Mount Union is 12-4 on the season and 3-1 in the OAC.
The Purple Raiders jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and extended the margin to 8-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. Marietta scored once in the sixth and added two more in the ninth for the 8-3 game one score.
Billy Goodall put Mount Union on top with an RBI double into the right center gap in the first inning. Nick Piotrowski reached on an error and came around to score on Goodall's gap shot.
In Mount's three-run third inning Piotrowski got things rolling with a one out single up the middle. Goodall followed with a base hit bunt and then Jimmy Scott singled to left scoring Piotrowski and moving Goodall to third.
Joey Keleman drove in Goodall with a grounder to short. Scott was safe at second when the Pioneers failed to field the ground ball. Kyle Spellman plated Scott with a single to left.
Mount Union added two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth off of Marietta reliever
Mitch McNabb (Grove City, Ohio/Bishop Ready). Starter
Tyler Nieberding (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) (1-2) worked 3.2 innings and allowed four runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out three.
McNabb threw 2.1 innings and gave up four runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout.
Ashton Salyers (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) threw 3.0 shutout innings giving up two hits, one walk and striking out three.
Marietta finally got to Mount Union ace Phil Mary in the sixth.
Chandler Palyas (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) walked and moved to second on a wild pitch.
Greg Peffley (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont) laced a double down the right field line scoring Palyas.
Mary (4-0) worked 7.0 innings and gave up one run on three hits. He walked three and struck out six. Mitch McCristall allowed two runs on four hits and struck out two in 2.0 innings of relief.
Bobby Newbury (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) and
Tyler Ruhl (Fredericktown, Ohio/Fredericktown) each had RBI singles in the ninth for Marietta. Newbury and
Eric White (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) finished with two hits in the game.
In game two, senior
Kordell Antill (Woodsfield, Ohio/Monroe Central) (2-0) threw 3.2 innings of shutout relief to earn the win. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out six.
David Stover (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) started and tossed 5.1 innings and allowed two runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out four.
Marietta broke the scoreless tie with two runs in the fourth.
Mike Hale (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) singled and White reached on an error.
Jonathan Pingree (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) followed with a double to the fence in the left center that scored Hale and White.
Mount Union tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. But the Etta Express plated two runs in the home half of the frame to reclaim the lead for good.
Newbury doubled to deep center field driving in Hale and Pingree, who both reached on walks. Hale delivered a two-run single in the seventh extending the Marietta lead to 6-2.
Michael Barnabei (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) and
Geoff Snyder (Norton, Ohio/Norton) picked up RBIs in the eighth. Barnabei drove in
Connor Golden (South Charleston, W.Va./Charleston Catholic) with a single, while Snyder plated Newbury with a double to the left field wall.
Noah Skladan (2-1) started and took the loss for Mount Union. He worked 5.1 innings and was charged with four runs on three hits. Three other Purple Raiders threw in relief.
Hale finished 2-for-3 with two RBI. Pingree and Newbury each had a double and two RBI in the game.
With rain in the forecast for Sunday, Marietta's doubleheader with La Roche has been postponed and will be played on Monday (March 27) at 1:00 p.m. 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.
