MARIETTA, Ohio — Otterbein University swept a pair of games from No. 1 ranked Marietta College on Sunday (May 8) afternoon in the Ohio Athletic Conference regular season finale for both schools. Prior to the game, the Marietta honored its 12 graduating seniors.
The Cardinals won game one, 7-3, and then posted a come from behind win in game two by the score of 11-8. Marietta finished the regular season with a 35-5 overall record and 15-3 OAC mark. Otterbein improves to 27-12 overall and 14-4 in the OAC.
Marietta will be the top seed and host for next week's OAC Tournament. Otterbein is the No. 2 seed, followed by No. 3 Baldwin Wallace and No. 4 Mount Union. The tournament starts on Thursday (May 12) with Marietta playing Mount Union at 1 p.m. and Otterbein playing Baldwin Wallace at 4 p.m.
In the first game, Otterbein opened with back-to-back doubles from Brayden Carter and Ryan Mitchell. The Cardinals plated two runs in the first, fifth and seventh innings and added an insurance run in the ninth.
Marietta got on the board with an unearned run in the fifth inning.
Damian Yenzi (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) had a sac fly to left that allowed
Alex Richter (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) to score.
The Pioneers plated two runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Zach Boyd (Kent, Ohio/Tallmadge) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and
Drew Holderbach (Fairfield, Ohio/Badin) had an RBI single.
Trent Valentine (Byesville, Ohio/Cambridge) (11-1) was tagged with his first loss of the season. He started and pitched 3 innings allowing two runs on four hits with a pair of walks.
Gino Sabatine (Alliance, Ohio/West Branch) worked 3.1 innings and gave up four runs on eight hits, while
Kail Hill (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) threw 2.2 innings and allowed one run on two hits with five strikeouts.
Travis Engard (5-0) started on the mound for Otterbein and got the win. He threw 4 shutout innings allowing six hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Logan Weber tossed 1 inning and gave up one unearned run. Travis Burson recorded his fifth save of the season throwing 4 innings and giving up two runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out three.
Holderbach led the Pioneer offense going 4-for-5 with an RBI.
Brett Carson (Ashville, Ohio/Teays Valley) had two hits, while Richter scored twice.
In the second game, a Marietta error with two outs in the ninth inning led to four unearned runs for Otterbein as the Cardinals scored five runs in the final inning for the 11-8 win.
Weber (6-2) threw the final 2 innings to get the win. He retired all six Pioneer batters he faced. Nicky Zorne started and pitched 4 innings allowing five runs on seven hits. Braydon McCloskey and Hunter Passwaters both threw in relief for the Cardinals.
Isaac Danford (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) started for the Pioneers and gave up one run on one hit in 2.2 innings.
Sam Mathews (Fairfield, Ohio/Badin) was charged with five runs on five hits in 3.1 innings, while
Griffin Malick (Akron, Ohio/Ellet) did not allow a run in 0.1 innings.
Carson (6-2) took the loss. He was charged with five runs, one earned, on four hits in 2 innings. Carson walked three and struck out one.
The Pioneers built a 6-2 lead with one run in the second, third and fourth innings and then three runs in fifth. The big blow was a three-run home run from Holderbach.
Otterbein got to Mathews in the seventh inning scoring four runs to tie the game, 6-6. But the Pioneers answered right back with two runs in the bottom of the frame.
Trent Castle (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) delivered a two-run single that scored
Logan Vietmeier (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) and Holderbach.
Turner Hill (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and two stolen bases. Castle,
Alex Page (Monroe, Ohio/Monroe) and Carson each had two hits in the game. Holderbach drove in four runs, while Castle and Carson each drove in two.
Fans can follow the Etta Express 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.
