SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Marietta College swept its second straight doubleheader with two wins at Wittenberg University Thursday (April 28) afternoon. The Pioneers won game one, 4-3, and then completed the sweep with a 9-7 victory in the second game.
The Pioneers improve to 16-20 on the season. Wittenberg falls to 13-18 overall.
Marietta scored four unanswered runs to overcome a 3-0 first inning deficit in the first game. Wittenberg took advantage of three wild pitches, a passed ball and an error to plate three runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Marietta got one run back in the second.
Hailey Maher (Galloway, Ohio/Central Crossing) led off with a single and was lifted for a pinch runner.
Jillian Strecansky (Columbiana, Ohio/South Rangle), running for Maher, moved to second on a wild pitch and third on a sac bunt from
Taylor Airy (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman). Following a walk to
Taylor Watts (Galloway, Ohio/West Jefferson),
Kylie Daugherty (Newport, Ohio/Frontier) singled up the middle scoring Strecansky.
Jess Brown (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) and
Paige Adams (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South) each had an RBI single in the fourth inning to tie the score, 3-3. The score remained tied until the seventh. Adams led off with a single.
Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) dropped down a bunt but the throw to second ended up in center field allowing Adams to score all the way from first base for a 4-3 Pioneer lead.
Sarah Keating (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) (2-3) retired the Tigers in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win. Keating pitched the final two innings and did not allow a run on two hits.
Jillian Middleton (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) started in the circle and gave up two runs on one hit without getting an out. Kazmirski took over and pitched five innings. She gave up one unearned run on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
Samantha Zungri started for Wittenberg and gave up three runs on eight hits in four innings. She walked two and struck out three. Kira van Ravensberg (7-11) was tagged with the loss after allowing one unearned run on one hit in three innings of work.
Daugherty, Brown, Adams and Kazmirski all had two hits in the game for the Pioneers.
In the second game, Marietta built a 9-2 lead and then had to hold on for the win as Wittenberg rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning scoring five runs and leaving two runners on base.
Ashton Helmke (Defiance, Ohio/Tinora) (2-2) started in the circle and threw six innings before turning the ball over to
Breanna Zirkle (Pomeroy, Ohio/Meigs) in the seventh. When Zirkle struggled, Helmke returned to the circle and shut down the Tiger rally earning the win.
All told, Helmke pitched seven innings and allowed three runs on seven hits. She walked three and struck out four. Zirkle was charged with four runs on three hits without recording an out.
Emily Jones (0-1) started and took the loss for Wittenberg. She threw 3.1 innings and allowed four runs on five hits. Kira van Ravensberg tossed 3.2 innings and gave up five runs on nine hits.
Kazmirski had a two-run triple and Brown launched a two-run home run as the Pioneers scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning. Marietta added an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI double from Daugherty.
Kazmirski went 3-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored and three RBI.
Anna Swierczewski (Natrona Heights, Pa./Saint Joseph) was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Daugherty, Adams and
Haylee Mott (Kinsman, Ohio/Badger) each had two hits for the Pioneers.
Marietta closes out the regular season on Saturday (April 30) when Baldwin Wallace visits Marietta Field for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.
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.
