MARIETTA, Ohio — Freshman third baseman
Damian Yenzi (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) lined a walk-off single to centerfield giving No. 16 Marietta College a sweep of Capital University at the 20th annual Community Day Sunday (April 8) in Don Schaly Stadium.
The Etta Express posted a 2-1 win in game one and then scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat Capital, 9-8, in the second game. Marietta improves to 16-4 overall and is in first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference with a 5-1 record. Capital falls to 11-13 overall and 2-4 in the OAC.
Capital, leading 8-7, was one out away from the upset when
Mike Hale (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) walked on a full count pitch that the Crusader faithful thought was a strike. With a left-handed hitter due up for Marietta, Capital brought in lefty pitcher Joseph Borkey.
Pioneer skipper
Brian Brewer sent
Michael Barnabei (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central), a right-handed hitter, to the plate instead. Hale stole second putting the tying run in scoring position. Barnabei dropped a double down the right field line driving in Hale to tie the game, 8-8.
Yenzi was the next Pioneer hitter and lined a 2-1 pitch to centerfield scoring Barnabei with the winning run.
Borkey (2-4) was tagged with the loss after giving up one run on two hits without recording an out. Barnabei (3-0) got the win. Barnabei allowed two runs on three hits in 3.0 innings of work. He walked two and struck out three.
Marietta built a 7-3 lead after four innings. The Crusaders battled back and plated three runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to grab the lead, 8-7.
Hale went 4-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored and two runs batted in.
Chris Petrucci (Farmington, W.Va./Notre Dame) had three hits and scored two runs.
Geoff Snyder (Norton, Ohio/Norton),
Shane Fetsko (South Park, Pa./South Park) and
Connor Golden (South Charleston, W.Va./Charleston Catholic) each had two hits in the game.
Ian Luttrell (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) started on the mound for the Pioneers and gave up three runs on four hits in 2.0 innings pitched. He struck out three Crusaders.
Dalton Wiggins (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) worked 2.0 innings and allowed one hit with one walk and one strikeout.
Easton Berry (Ripley, W.Va./Ripley) gave up three runs on no hits with two walks in 1.1 innings and
Kordell Antill (Woodsfield, Ohio/Monroe Central) threw 0.2 innings and gave up no runs on two hits with one strikeout.
Ross Thompson started for Capital and was charged with four runs on seven hits in 2.2 innings. He walked two and struck out one. Nick Beck threw 1.1 innings and gave up three runs on four hits with one strikeout. Casey Hamrick threw 2.0 innings and allowed one hit and one walk. Alex Mukensturm tossed 2.2 innings and gave up one run on one hit. He walked one and struck out three.
While game two featured the two offenses, the first game of the day was a pitcher's duel. Capital was limited to five base hits in the game, while Marietta managed just four.
Scott Oberhelman (Washington Twp., N.J./Old Tappan) started for the Pioneers and tossed 7.0 strong innings. He gave up one unearned run on five hits. Oberhelman struck out two and did not walk a batter.
David Stover (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) (6-0) got the win with 2.0 innings of no hit, shutout relief. Stover struck out one Crusader.
Patrick Avellano (3-2) started and got the loss for Capital. He allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. Borkey struck out the one Pioneer hitter he faced in the game.
Marietta got on the board in the bottom of the first. Snyder led off with a double to centerfield and came around to score on a single from Hale.
Capital tied the game with an unearned run in the seventh. Connor Richardson reached on a two out single. Daniel Walters followed with a single down the right field line moving Richardson to third. Drew Ellis then hit a grounder to third but the ball was misplayed allowing Richardson to score.
The Pioneers manufactured the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Petrucci reached on an error and quickly stole second. On the play, the throw ended up in centerfield allowing Petrucci to move to third. He would later score on a wild pitch.
Marietta hits the road this week for a pair of OAC doubleheaders. The Pioneers play at the University of Mount Union on Tuesday (April 10) at 1 p.m. and at Wilmington College on Saturday (April 14) at 1 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.
