MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College took to the field for the final time in 2022 and swept Baldwin Wallace to close the season on a six-game winning streak. The Pioneers took the first game by the score of 9-4 and then routed the Yellow Jackets in game two, 17-2.
Marietta finishes the season 18-20 overall, 8-10 in the Ohio Athletic Conference and Baldwin Wallace finishes 13-23 on the season.
Before the games began, the Pioneers celebrated their four seniors who will not return next year.
Makayla Cordle (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson),
Ashton Helmke (Defiance, Ohio/Tinora),
Natalie Payton (St. Marys, W.Va./St. Marys), and
Anna Swierczewski (Natrona Heights, Pa./Saint Joseph) were honored for their service to the team and they all had big moments during the doubleheader.
Helmke (3-3) got the start in game one and pitched very well to get the victory. The Jackets did get a run off of her early in the game, though, when Emily Mau led off with a single and promptly stole second. Julia Gersey then singled her home and Baldwin Wallace led 1-0 after one half inning of play. The Jackets scored again the second when Amanda Crisler walked to lead off the inning and eventually scored on an infield single from Alicia Saxton.
The Pioneers finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single from
Emma Burke (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster), scoring
Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke). Marietta tied it in the fifth when Kazmirski doubled to score
Micaela Bradley (Greenup, Ill./Cumberland).
Marietta broke it open in the sixth, scoring seven runs on six hits.
Jess Brown (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) led off with a single.
Paige Adams (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South) tried to sacrifice bunt, but reached base on an error. After Burke walked, Swierczewski rocked a pitch to the opposite field for a double and drove in two runs.
Haylee Mott (Kinsman, Ohio/Badger) singled to drive in two more runs. Kazmirski drove in another run and
Jillian Middleton (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) drove in a run with a single.
Middleton came in to pitch the seventh but could not retire any of the batters she faced, so Helmke reentered and shut the door. She scattered seven hits and gave up two runs, striking out one to earn the victory.
The Pioneers exploded in game two with a 10-run first inning.
Kylie Daugherty (Newport, Ohio/Frontier) led off with a walk. Kazmirski and Burke singled to load the bases. Swierczewski sent a shot to the gap for a double and drove in another two runs. Mott then walked and
Taylor Watts (Galloway, Ohio/West Jefferson) had an infield single to again load the bases. Daugherty then cleared them with a blast to left center field for a grand slam. The Pioneers scored four more in the second inning, three runs off of a bases clearing double from Kazmirski.
The last runs of the 2022 campaign came off the bat of Brown who hit a towering two-run blast in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Jackets put up one more run in the fifth, but the Pioneers came away with the sweep.
Kazmirski got the start in the circle for Marietta and pitched the first two innings. She gave up no hits or runs and struck out three.
Sarah Keating (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) (3-3) came in and pitched the final three innings. She allowed five hits and two runs, one earned.
The Pioneers ended the season with a record 38 home runs, the most hit since 2011's 31 home runs.
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.
