MARIETTA, Ohio —
Anna Swierczewski (Natrona Heights, Pa./Saint Joseph) smacked a pinch hit, three-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Marietta College a 6-4 win in game one against John Carroll University on Saturday (April 23) afternoon. The Blue Streaks bounced back to win game two, 5-3.
The Pioneers move to 10-20 overall and 6-10 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. John Carroll is now 13-12-2 on the season and 6-7-1 in the OAC.
John Carroll led the first game 4-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. After retiring the first two batters of the inning, Brianna Callow walked
Paige Adams (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South) and
Taylor Airy (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman).
Hailey Maher (Galloway, Ohio/Central Crossing) hit the ball back to Callow who misplayed it loading the bases for Swierczewski, who was pinch hitting for
Micaela Bradley (Greenup, Ill./Cumberland).
Swierczewski lined a 1-1 pitch from Callow to the wall in left-center clearing the bases and giving the Pioneers a 6-4 lead.
Breanna Zirkle (Pomeroy, Ohio/Meigs) (1-0) retired the Blue Streaks in the seventh for her first win of the season. Zirkle worked two shutout innings and allowed three hits with one strikeout.
Jillian Middleton (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) started in the circle and gave up two runs on two hits in 1.2 innings.
Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) and
Amelia Timko (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) each threw in relief before Zirkle took over.
Callow (5-4) went the distance for JCU pitching seven innings. She allowed six runs, three earned, on six hits. Callow walked two and struck out five.
Adams and Middleton both hit solo home runs for the Pioneers in the second inning. Marietta scored one in the third when
Kylie Daugherty (Newport, Ohio/Frontier) led off with a triple and scored on a sac fly from
Jess Brown (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville).
In the second game, John Carroll built a 5-0 lead and then held on for the win. Marietta plated two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth.
Brown drove in MC's first run with a sac fly. Daugherty scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-2.
Emma Burke (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) plated Marietta's final run with a sac fly in the bottom of the sixth.
Sarah Keating (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) (0-3) started in the circle for Marietta and took the loss. She threw 2.2 innings and allowed four runs, one earned, on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Middleton worked the final 4.1 innings and gave up one unearned run on two hits. She walked two and struck out four.
Danielle Orendi (6-3) got the win for JCU. She pitched all seven innings and gave up three runs, one earned, on six hits. Orendi walked four and struck out two.
Adams went 2-for-4 with a double for the Pioneers. Daugherty and Middleton each had a double as well.
Marietta hosts Penn State Behrend Sunday (April 24) for a non-conference doubleheader. Game one starts at 1:00 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.
