CLERMONT, Fla. – The Marietta College softball team opened its 2020 campaign with a 5-3 win over Alfred University in game one, but fell 2-1 to Carnegie Mellon University in the second game of the day. The split means the Pioneers are 1-1 on the season.
Alfred got on the board in the top of the first inning, as they scored an unearned run, to lead 1-0 early in the game. Marietta answered back in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game at 1-1.
Kylie Daugherty (Newport, Ohio/Frontier) led off the inning with a triple down the right field line, and was driven in by
Maddi Liston (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) who reached on an error by the shortstop. The Pioneers took the lead in the bottom of the second inning when
Erin Miller (Woodsfield, Ohio/Monroe Central) and
Lauren Rockocy (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) singled to get the inning rolling. Daugherty drove both runners in with a single to left field, to put Marietta on top 3-1. After two scoreless innings, the Saxons tacked on a run in the fifth and cut the Marietta lead to 3-2. The Pioneers added two insurance runs in bottom of the sixth to take a 5-2 advantage.
Alyssa Cook (Akron, Ohio/Ellet),
Erin Miller (Woodsfield, Ohio/Monroe Central), and Rockocy loaded the bases when all three reached safely. The next batter up,
Maicy Kirk (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy Orange) delivered a big two run single to drive in Cook and Miller, to put Marietta on top heading into the final inning. Alfred scratched across a run in the top of the seventh, but Liston finished her complete game and earned a 5-3 win.
Liston pitched all seven innings, she allowed three runs, on eight hits, struck out six in the game, and earned her first win of the season.
Game two started as a pitcher's duel for the first four innings, as neither team was able to bring someone around to score. Through four innings of play
Hannah Richardson (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville Central) only allowed two hits and struck out four batters. Carnegie Mellon grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Pioneers tied the game in the top of the sixth inning when Daugherty reached on an infield single. Daugherty advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kirk. Daugherty finished her trip around the bases when she scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1. Airyanna Mauerer pitched a scoreless seventh inning and the game went into extra innings deadlocked at 1-1. The Tartans scored the game winning run in the bottom of the eighth to win 2-1 in extra innings.
Marietta will return to the field Monday (March 9) when they play Ohio Wesleyan and Defiance, with game one scheduled to begin at 11:15 a.m.
Fans can follow the Pioneers all season long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
