UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — Marietta College split an Ohio Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader at John Carroll University Sunday (April 30) afternoon. The Pioneers won game one, 11-5, and dropped the nitecap, 10-9.
With two conference games left on the schedule, the Pioneers have secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming OAC Tournament with a 12-4 OAC record.
Mount Union claimed the regular season title and No. 1 tournament seed with a 16-2 conference mark. Marietta is currently 19-15 overall. John Carroll is 16-19 overall and 9-7 in the OAC.
Aided by a pair of John Carroll errors, Marietta plated five runs in the top of the first inning in game one.
Greg Peffley (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont) got the ball rolling with an RBI double.
Mike Hale (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) followed with a runs-scoring single. After the defensive miscues, the Pioneers got sac flies from
Michael Barnabei (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) and
Joe Gardner (Armada, Mich./Romeo).
Grant Helber (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) drove in a run in the third with a double down the left field line making it 6-0. Hale picked up another RBI with a sac fly in the fourth extending the MC lead to 7-0.
Gardner started the Pioneer fifth with a one-out triple. Helber singled up the middle plating Gardner.
Ben Pratt (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) reached on a single and then Peffley drove in both Helber and Pratt with a base hit to center field making it 10-0.
The Blue Streaks finally got the Marietta starter
Tyler Nieberding (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) in the sixth inning. John Carroll scored four times as Monroe Donnelly had a two-run double, Mike Raschilla and Patrick Scholla each had RBI doubles.
Nieberding (3-2) would finish the inning and get the win. He worked 6.0 innings and gave up four runs on six hits with two walks and one strikeout.
Kordell Antill (Woodsfield, Ohio/Monroe Central) threw 2.0 innings of shutout relief and
Ashton Salyers (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) allowed an unearned run in 1.0 inning of work.
Drew Vargo (2-5) started and got the loss for John Carroll. He pitched 5.0 innings and was charged with 10 runs on 11 hits. He walked two and struck out two. Joseph Franke pitched the final 4.0 innings allowing one run on three hits.
Peffley finished 4-for-5 with a double and four RBI.
Eric White (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) and Helber had two hits apiece, while
Chris Petrucci (Farmington, W.Va./Notre Dame) scored three times.
In the second game, Marietta again grabbed the lead in the first inning and led until the Blue Streaks scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to steal the victory.
Connor Golden (South Charleston, W.Va./Charleston Catholic) went 4-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBI. Peffley added three more hits on the day, while Petrucci, White and Helber had two hits each.
Jacob Baker (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) (0-2) was tagged with the loss. Baker faced two batters in the ninth inning and both reached base safely, including what would become the winning run.
Scott Oberhelman (Washington Twp., N.J./Old Tappan) started and threw 2.0 innings giving up three runs on four hits.
Ian Luttrell (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) took over and worked 3.2 innings allowing three runs on five hits.
David Stover (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) tried to close out the game but ran into trouble in the ninth.
Stover tossed 2.1 innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits before turning the ball over to Baker. Baker walked one and hit another batter and was replaced by
Mitch McNabb (Grove City, Ohio/Bishop Ready). McNabb got his first batter to fly out before surrendering a game-winning single to Derek Penman.
Mark Materise (2-1) retired the Pioneers in order in the top of the ninth to earn the win. Fred Moore started the game and gave up eight runs on 10 hits in 4.2 innings of work. Steven Virost threw 3.1 innings and allowed one run on four hits.
Marietta returns home to host Ohio Northern University in its final OAC doubleheader of the season on Saturday (May 6). First pitch is set for 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.
