KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — No. 6 ranked Marietta College scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to come from behind and defeat Berry College by the score of 6-3 Thursday (Feb. 23) afternoon in the D3 Showcase. The Pioneers start 2023 with a 1-0 record, while Berry falls to 2-3 on the season.
The Etta Expressed jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with a pair of solo home runs.
Nick Bonnizzio (Hudson, Ohio/Twinsburg) led off the game with a shot over the left field wall and
Ty Davis (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) sailed one over the wall down the right field line in the fourth inning.
Senior
Trent Valentine (Byesville, Ohio/Cambridge) got the start on the mound and cruised through the first four innings. The Vikings got to Valentine in the bottom of the fifth. Blake Hyman led off with a single and moved into scoring position when Pioneer catcher
Ben Kaplin (Louisville, Ky./Ballard) made a diving catch on a foul ball at the backstop.
John Poist lined a single down the right field line scoring Hyman. Following a flyout, Poist stole second and Wesley Wade walked chasing Valentine from the mound.
Zach Marzetz (Blacklick, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln) took over on the hill and got Levi Cloud to ground to third, but the throw was wild at first base allowing Poist to score and Wade moved all the way to third. Andrew Pendleton lined out to end the inning.
Berry took the lead in the sixth inning. Joey Garcia led off with a double to left and moved to third on a wild pitch. An error by the Marietta shortstop allowed Garcia to score.
The score remained 3-2 until the top of the ninth. Kaplin was hit by a pitch and then lifted for pinch runner
Cole Rieman (West Chester, Ohio/Archbishop Moeller). Valentin dropped down a bunt and was safe at first when Viking pitcher Ethan Crump's throw pulled the first baseman off the bag. Davis followed with another bunt and, once again, Crump's throw was wild loading the bases with nobody out.
Berry went to the bullpen and brought in Tyler Cassidy. Cassidy struck out
Kail Hill (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) and then retired Rieman at the plate on a slow roller back to the mound. With the Vikings one out away from victory, Cassidy had some control issues and walked
Cole Yeager (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) and Bonnizzio plating Valentine and Davis with unearned runs.
Alex Richter (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) put the game away with a single up the middle that scored
Braden Shepherd (Huntington, W.Va./Huntington) and Yeager and giving Marietta a 6-3 lead.
Hill took over on the mound in the bottom of the ninth and surrendered a single and a double before retiring the final two Viking hitters for his first save of the season.
Valentine worked 4.2 innings and was charged with two runs, one earned, on five hits. He walked three and struck out three. Marzetz allowed one unearned run on one hit in an inning of work.
Josh Pedersen (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) threw one inning before turning the ball over to
Nick Kumor (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands). Kumor (1-0) got the win working one shutout inning.
Bonnizzio led the Pioneer offense going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and two runs batted in. Richter finished with a pair of singles and two RBI, while Davis picked up an RBI on his solo home run.
Patrick O'Rourke started on the mound for Berry and threw 5.0 innings. He allowed two runs on five hits. Crump (0-1) allowed three unearned runs on no hits in 3.0 innings for the loss. Cassidy worked an inning and allowed one unearned run on one hit.
Garcia and Hyman each had two hits for the Vikings.
Marietta plays the University of Rochester on Friday (Feb. 24) at 4:30 p.m.
Fans can follow all 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.
