WOOSTER, Ohio — The College of Wooster, ranked No. 7 nationally, scored seven runs in the middle three innings en route to an 8-5 victory over Marietta College Thursday (April 20) afternoon in nonconference baseball action.
The Etta Express falls to 14-12 overall, while Wooster improves to 23-5 on the season.
The Fighting Scots jumped on top with a run in the bottom of the third inning. Nick Strausbaugh reached on a two-out infield single and stole second. Jake Fling followed with a double to right field scoring Strausbaugh.
Fling finished with game 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and two runs batted in for the Scots.
Jamie Lackner led off the Wooster fourth inning with a solo home run to center field. The Scots made it 3-0 when Ryan Ostendorf homered down the left field line two batters later.
Marietta battled back an evened the score with three runs in the top of the fifth inning.
Michael Barnabei (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) started the frame with a solo homer to left.
Grant Helber (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) and
Chris Petrucci (Farmington, W.Va./Notre Dame) both singled through the left side of the infield. Both runners moved up 90 feet on a ground out by
Greg Peffley (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont) and came around to score when
Eric White (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) singled to right field.
The Pioneer lead was short-lived as Wooster plated three in the bottom of the inning to reclaim the lead, 6-3.
Ashton Salyers (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) took over for starter
Tommy Crowl (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day) on the mound to start the inning. A single, hit batsman and a walk loaded the bases with no outs.
Salyers got Garrett Crumb to hit a ground ball to Peffley at third who fired home for the force out. But a wild pitch allowed Michael Wielansky to score. Drew Tornow followed with a ground out to second base plating Lackner and then another wild pitch brought Crum across.
Four Pioneer errors led to a pair of unearned runs for Wooster in the sixth making it 8-3.
Marietta cut the deficit to three runs in the seventh. Peffley worked a two-out walk. White doubled into the right-center gap. The Wooster right fielder misplayed the ball allowing Peffley to score.
Mike Hale (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) plated white with an RBI single.
Nanak Saran (4-0) started and got the win for the Scots. He threw 6.0 innings and allowed three runs on four hits. Saran walked three and struck out six. James Usher worked 1.0 inning and gave up two runs on two hits. Michael Whitaker notched his fifth save of the season with 2.0 shutout innings of relief. He allowed one hot and struck out one Pioneer.
Crowl threw 4.0 innings and was charged with three runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out two. Salyers (0-1) took the loss after giving up five runs, three earned, on two hits.
Austin Eaton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) worked the final 2.0 innings walking one and striking out one.
White led the Pioneer offense going 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored and two RBI.
Marietta returns home to host Wilmington College on Saturday (April 22) for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader. Pioneer fans can enjoy the 19th annual Community day at Don Schaly Stadium on Saturday.
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.
