EMORY, Va. — Marietta College opened the 2017 softball season with a split of non-conference games Saturday (March 3). The Pioneers blasted Oberlin College, 15-2, in the first game and dropped a 2-0 shutout to Emory & Henry College in game two.
Marietta (1-1 overall) erupted for 17 base hits in the 6-inning mercy rule win over Oberlin (0-1). All nine of MC's starting hitters had a hit in the game and
Ali Prologo (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) went 4-for-6 in the leadoff spot.
The Pioneers plated two runs in the first and three more in the second. Marietta put the game away with eight runs in the top of the sixth. Oberlin got on the board with a run in the third and another in the sixth.
Kristina LaRocca (Strasburg, Ohio/Strasburg Franklin) (1-0) went the distance in the circle for the Pioneers. She allowed two runs, both earned, on six hits in 6.0 innings of work. LaRocca walked six and struck out two.
Tori Poplaski (0-1) took the loss for Oberlin. She started and worked 3.1 innings and gave up six runs, four earned, on six hits with six walks and a pair of strikeouts. Two other pitchers saw action for Oberlin.
Ariann Barile (Roaming Shores, Ohio/Jefferson) had two doubles and drove in three runs for the Pioneers.
Brianna Finck (New Lexington, Ohio/Crooksville) also knocked in three runs with a double and a single.
Cierra Bloom (Dennison, Ohio/Claymont) and
Kaitlin Klinchock (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) each had two hits in the game for Marietta.
Emily Kendrick (2-2) tossed a three-hit shutout as Emory & Henry (4-3) blanked the Pioneers in game two. Kendrick struck out eight and did not walk a Pioneer batter.
Jocelyn White (Gibsonia, Pa./Hampton) (0-1) was tagged with the loss. White threw 6.0 innings and was charged with both runs on six hits.
Alison Kach (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich) worked a perfect inning of relief.
The Wasps got on the board in the first inning. Riley Pudney led off with a double and moved to third on a ground out by Jordan Chrisley. Leah Elswick followed with a run-scoring double to the left-center gap.
Emory & Henry doubled its lead in the third. Rachel Smoot singled up the middle to start the inning and quickly stole second base. After a pair of flyouts, Elswick delivered an RBI single to left.
Prologo continued to swing a hot bat at the top of the Marietta order going 2-for-3. Finck had the Pioneers' other base hit.
Marietta will play Oberlin and Emory & Henry again Sunday (March 5). The Pioneers take on Oberlin at 10:00 a.m. and the host Emory & Henry at 2:00 p.m.
Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams all year long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
