MARIETTA, Ohio – The Marietta College softball team split a double-header with Otterbein University on Tuesday (May 4) afternoon on Marietta Field.  The Cardinals took game one, 7-6 in 10 innings, and the Pioneers bounced back to win game two, 4-1 in five innings.  

Marietta got on the board in the bottom of the first inning, as they put up four runs.  Taylor Watts (Galloway, Ohio/West Jefferson) got the inning started with a walk, and Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) singled later in the inning to put runner on first and second.  Jess Brown (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) loaded the bases with a single, and Anna Swierczewski (Natrona Heights, Pa./Saint Joseph)
plated Watts when she reached on an error.  The next batter up, Jordan Pallay (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Bradley), delivered a two-run double to left center, and Hailey Maher (Galloway, Ohio/Central Crossing) singled up the middle, to make the score 4-0 Pioneers.

Otterbein got on the board in the top of the second with a solo homerun.  The Cardinals continued to battle back with a pair of third inning runs, to make the 4-3 in favor of Marietta after three innings.  Otterbein took a 6-4 edge, behind three runs in the fourth inning.  

The game remained 6-4 until the bottom of the seventh, when Watts reached on an error to lead off the inning.  Kylie Daugherty (Newport, Ohio/Frontier) tied the game with a towering two run homerun to left field, to tie the game at 6-6.  The game advanced to extra innings, and neither team was able to score in the eighth or ninth inning.  

The Cardinals tacked on a run in the top of the 10th to hold a 7-6 edge.  Maicy Kirk (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy Orange) singled in the bottom of the 10th to put the tying run on base, but the Pioneers could not drive her in, and fell 7-6.  

Ashton Helmke (Defiance, Ohio/Tinora) came in in relief of Maddi Liston (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central).  Helmke worked 5.2 innings.  She allowed no runs, on two hits, and struck out a pair of batters.  

In game two, after a scoreless first inning, Otterbein got on the board first with a run in the top of the second inning.  Marietta answered in the bottom of the second inning, and grabbed a 3-1 advantage.  Swierczewski got the inning started with a one out walk, and the next batter up, Brown, crushed a two run homerun to straight away center field.  The Pioneers added their third run of the inning when a Kaitlyn Carpenter (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North) single plated Makayla Cordle (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson), who pitch ran for Maher.  

The third and fourth innings were scoreless, and Marietta tacked on run in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Swierczewski got the two out rally started when she reached on an error.  Brown singled, and Pallay walked to load the bases, and Maher singled to drive in Swierczewski, to make the score 4-1. The game was called after the fifth inning due to darkness.  

Hannah Richardson (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville Central) pitched all five innings for the Pioneers, she allowed one run, on two hits, and  walked a batter.  Richardson struck out five in her five innings of work.  

Marietta will return to the diamond Saturday (May 8) when they host Heidelberg University, with the first pitch of the double header scheduled for 1 p.m.

Fans can follow all 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.