MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College smacked a pair of grand slams as the Pioneers beat Otterbein University in the first game, 12-4 in six innings, Thursday (April 7) afternoon in Ohio Athletic Conference softball.
Otterbein won game two by the same score. The Pioneers move to 9-11 overall and 3-3 in the OAC. Otterbein is now 15-5 on the season and 4-2 in the OAC.
The Cardinals grabbed an early lead with three runs in the top of the second inning. But Marietta answered with five runs in the third.
Kylie Daugherty (Newport, Ohio/Frontier) lined an RBI double into the left center gap and then
Jess Brown (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) launched a grand slam way over the fence in left field for a 5-3 Pioneer lead.
Otterbein cut the deficit in half with a run in the fifth inning. Megan delivered an RBI double scoring Sage Jenkins, who doubled to start the inning.
Brown picked up two more RBI with a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth extending the lead to 7-4.
Marietta loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth.
Paige Adams (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South) walked,
Taylor Watts (Galloway, Ohio/West Jefferson) reached on a fielder's choice and
Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) single to load the bases. Jillian Middelton deposited a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence for another Marietta grand slam.
With the score 11-4,
Emma Burke (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) launched a walk-off solo home run to left-center giving Marietta the 12-4 win.
Middleton (8-4) got the win starting and pitching 5.0 innings. She allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits. Middleton walked four and struck out three.
Ashton Helmke (Defiance, Ohio/Tinora) worked 1.0 innings and gave up one hit, two walks and struck out one.
Jess Gunter (6-3) started in the circle for Otterbein was tagged with the loss after allowing 12 runs, eight earned, on 10 hits. She walked four and struck out two in 4.2 innings. Haylee Ternovan faced one batter and induced a double play.
Middleton went 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and four RBI. Brown had two hits and drove in six runs. Kazmirski and Burke also had two hits in the game for Marietta.
Game two started out the same as game one. Otterbein went on top 3-0 in the top of the first. Caroline Heller and Taylor Baran each had RBI singles.
Marietta took the lead with four runs in the home half of the second inning. Watts had an RBI single through the right side of the infield and Daugherty lined a three-run double to the wall in center field.
The score remained 4-3 in favor of the Pioneers until the fifth innings when the Cardinals plated four runs. Otterbein added five more in the sixth and then retired the Pioneers in the bottom of the frame for the 12-4 victory.
Helmke started in the circle for Marietta. She gave up three runs on four hits and struck out a pair in 1.0 inning.
Amelia Timko (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) (1-5) allowed four runs on six hits in 3.2 innings for the loss and Middleton was charged with four runs on two hits in 1.0 inning.
Sarah Keating (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) gave up one run on one hit in 0.1 innings.
Bryn Grabowski (9-2) went the distance in the circle for the Cardinals. She allowed four runs on six hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
Haylee Mott (Kinsman, Ohio/Badger) led the Pioneers going 2-for-2 with one run scored. Daugherty drove in three runs.
Marietta travels to Wilmington for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday (April 9).
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.
