MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team swept its four-game Ohio Athletic Conference series with John Carroll University winning the final two games Saturday (April 3) afternoon. The Pioneers have now won six straight games and are 7-9 on the season and 7-9 in the OAC. John Carroll falls to 4-13 overall and 4-11 in the OAC.
Marietta came from behind to win the first game of Saturday's doubleheader by the score of 10-9. The Pioneers finished the weekend with an 8-0 win in six innings in the second game.
Eight of Marietta's 10 runs in the first game came vis the home run.
Jess Brown (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) got things started with a three-run shot over the right field fence in the bottom of the first inning.
Anna Swierczewski (Natrona Heights, Pa./Saint Joseph) led off the third inning with a solo blast to left field.
With the game tied, 6-6, in the bottom of the fifth inning, Kyle Daugherty launched a grand slam over the left field fence giving the Pioneers a 10-6 lead. The Pioneers held off a late charge by the Blue Streaks for the 10-9 win.
Ashton Helmke (Defiance, Ohio/Tinora) (2-1) got the win in relief for Marietta.
Maddi Liston (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) started and gave up six runs, five earned, on six hits in 3.1 innings. She walked three and struck out four. Helmke threw 2.2 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Sarah Keating (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) picked up her first save of the season. She pitched the sixth inning and gave up one run on three hits.
Katie DeBord (3-8) took the loss. She threw 4.0 innings and gave up five runs on nine hits. Madison Eagle allowed five runs on three hits in 0.2 innings, while Danielle Orendi pitched the final 1.1 innings allowing just one hit.
Maicy Kirk (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy Orange),
Jordan Pallay (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Bradley),
Hailey Maher (Galloway, Ohio/Central Crossing) and Swierczewski each had two hits in the game for the Pioneers.
The second game started out as a pitchers' duel as
Hannah Richardson (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville Central) and DeBoard both had a shutout going through the first three innings. Richardson would go on to toss the complete game shutout for her first win of the season. She scattered five hits, walked two and struck out six.
DeBoard (3-9) threw 4.2 innings and allowed four runs on six hits. Orendi worked the final 1.0 innings and gave up four runs on five hits.
Daugherty smacked her second home run of the day with a three-tun shot to left in the fifth inning. She finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.
Richardson got the Pioneers on the board with a sac fly in the fourth inning. Daugherty made it 4-0 with her long ball in the fifth. Marietta ended the game with four more runs in the sixth. Swierczewski drove in two of the four runs with her second double of the game.
Swierczewski went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Pallay also had two hits in the game for the Pioneers.
Marietta travels to Columbus on Saturday (April 10) for an OAC doubleheader at Capital University. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
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.
