MARIETTA, Ohio – The Pioneers welcomed the Bethany Bison to Marietta Field Sunday (March 20) afternoon and almost completed an awesome comeback before losing game one in extra innings. 9-8. Marietta would enjoy an offensive explosion in game two, eight-running the Bison 11-3. Marietta evens their record to 6-6 while the Bison move to 7-6.
Marietta got a quick start in the first inning when
Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) doubled to center field and
Jillian Middleton (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) homered to left center, giving the Pioneers a 2-0 lead. The Bison would generate some runs in the next two innings with the use of bunts and aggressive baserunning. Bethany would go on to score three in the second and two in the third to take a 5-2 lead.
The Pioneers took advantage of some bad Bison defense in the bottom of the fourth to get a run back.
Anna Swierczewski (Natrona Heights, Pa./Saint Joseph) reached on a fielding error and would eventually score on
Jillian Strecansky's (Columbiana, Ohio/South Rangle) infield hit.
Bethany played more "small ball" in the fifth when Destiny Goodnight walked and advanced to second on a bunt single by Morgan Huey. Middleton, who got the start for Marietta, was replaced after walking Bethany's Angela Brandel.
Sarah Keating (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) would come in give up a bunt single, scoring a run. She would then throw a wild pitch which would bring home another run. Keating would settle down and retire the next three batters to get out of the inning but the Bison now had a three-run lead.
Marietta was down to their last chance in the bottom of the seventh. Kazmirski had an infield single and advanced to third on
Emma Burke's (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) double.
Kylie Daugherty (Newport, Ohio/Frontier) would come to the plate and hammer an 0-2 pitch over the left field fence, tying the game at six.
The game would remain scoreless to the 11
th inning when Jennifer Oberthur doubled down the left field line and came around on a Kathleen Fuchs single. Brandel two-run single would give the Bison a three-run lead. Marietta would come up in the bottom half of the inning and attempt another comeback.
Jess Brown (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) led off with a single and was pitch ran for by
Laura Kohmann (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington). Daugherty then doubled to left center. Both Pioneer baserunners would score on a dropped fly ball, but that is where the rally would end and the Pioneers would drop game one of the doubleheader 9-8.
Keating (0-1) pitched six strong innings of relief but got the loss. Josie Wise pitched all 11 innings for Bethany to earn the victory. She gave up eight runs (five earned) on 12 hits, striking out 15.
In game two, Kazmirski and Daugherty led off the home half of the first inning with singles. After Middleton grounded into a double play, Swierczewski would single up the middle, plating Daugherty. In the bottom of the second,
Hailey Maher (Galloway, Ohio/Central Crossing) singled to center field and moved to third on a
Haylee Mott (Kinsman, Ohio/Badger) double. Kazmirski would drive home both Pioneers with a single and the Pioneers would take a three-run lead going into the third inning.
Bethany would tie it up in the top of the third inning. Oberthur homered to center field and Huey and Brandel both had RBI singles. Marietta starter
Amelia Timko (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) would get out of the inning, though, when she struck out Ally McClelland.
The Pioneers opened it up in the bottom of the third with six runs. Brown's double would drive in two runs and she would eventually score on a Mott sacrifice fly. Kazmirski's monster day continued with a two-run double and would score on Middleton singled up the middle. Marietta would then walk it off in the fifth inning as Kazmirski and Daugherty would hit back-to-back homers, giving them the mercy-rule victory.
Timko (1-3) would get the complete game victory. She pitch all five innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and striking out three. Jersie Knight (0-1) pitched three innings and was rocked for nine runs (five earned) on 11 hits.
Marietta will next travel to Ohio Wesleyan for a doubleheader on Tuesday (March 22). First pitch is set for 3:30 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.
