MARIETTA, Ohio —
Kylie Daugherty (Newport, Ohio/Frontier) blasted a two-run, walk-off home run to give Marietta College a doubleheader sweep of Wilmington College Sunday (March 28) afternoon. Daugherty's second home run in as many at bats gave Marietta a 12-11 win in the second game. The Pioneers won game one, 3-0.
Marietta improves to 3-9 on the season and 3-9 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Wilmington falls to 8-8 overall and 7-5 in conference games.
On the verge of being mercy ruled, the Pioneers trailed Wilmington 9-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. Marietta erupted for seven runs in the frame on the strength of the first of Daugherty's two home runs; a grand slam to straight away center field.
Both teams scored twice in the sixth inning giving Wilmington an 11-10 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh. Pioneer first baseman
Anna Swierczewski (Natrona Heights, Pa./Saint Joseph) led off the inning with an infield single. Daugherty followed with the game winning blast over the left field fence.
Daugherty finished the game 2-for-4 with six runs batted in on the two home runs.
Maicy Kirk (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy Orange),
Hailey Maher (Galloway, Ohio/Central Crossing) and Swierczewski each had two hits in the game for Marietta.
Ashton Helmke (Defiance, Ohio/Tinora) (1-1) got the win in relief of starting pitcher
Hannah Richardson (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville Central). Helmke worked 4.0 innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits. She walked two and struck out three. Richardson gave up eight runs, four earned, on eight hits in 3.0 innings. She walked one and struck out four.
Lindsey Carter (3-4) took the loss for the Quakers. She surrendered two runs on two hits in 0.1 innings of work. Alexis Stringfellow started and threw 3.0 innings. She gave up one run on four hits. Hayley Suchland and Hillary Huffer also threw for Wilmington.
While offense was the name of the game in the night cap, pitching was front and center in the first game of the afternoon.
Maddi Liston (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) (2-2) tossed the complete game shutout for the Pioneers. Liston scattered five hits and struck out five in 7.0 innings in the circle.
Carter went the distance for Wilmington and allowed three runs on nine hits in 6.0 innings as she was tagged with both pitching losses on the day.
Kaitlyn Carpenter (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North) got Marietta on the board with an RBI double in the third inning. Daugherty manufactured a run for MC in the fifth when she led off with a bunt single. She moved to second on the play when the throw got away at first base. A wild pitch advanced her to third where she scored on a passed ball.
Richardson made it 3-0 in favor of Marietta in the sixth inning.
Jess Brown (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) reached on a one-out double and was replaced with a pinch runner,
Makayla Cordle (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson). Richardson delivered a single to center scoring Cordle.
Kirk and Brown led the Pioneer offense with two hits apiece in the game.
Marietta travels to University Heights on Friday (April 2) for a 1 p.m. doubleheader at John Carroll University.
Fans can follow all of 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.
