WINTER HAVEN, Florida — Marietta College split a pair of one run softball games Monday (March 6) afternoon at The Spring Games in Florida. The Pioneers defeated Penn State Berks, 6-5, and lost to Massachusetts Dartmouth, 4-3. Marietta is 1-3 on the season.
Jillian Middleton (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) ripped a two-out single to right field scoring
Shelby Metzger (Beavercreek Township, Ohio/Beavercreek) with the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning against Penn State Berks. Middleton tied the game, 5-5, the inning before with a solo home run to left center. She finished the game 3-for-4 with three runs batted in.
Middleton's first RBI of the game came in the bottom of the first inning. She singled up the middle driving in Metzger, who led off with a walk.
Jess Brown (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) gave the Pioneers a 3-1 lead with a towering two-run homer to right center in the third.
Berks batted around in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead and chase Middleton from the circle. Middleton worked 3.2 innings and gave up five runs on eight hits. She walked two and struck out two.
Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) (1-1) took over and threw 3.1 shutout innings for the win. She allowed three hits and struck out three. Kazmirski helped her own cause with an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth.
Arizona Shreck started in the circle for Berks and pitched 3.0 innings giving up three runs on six hits. Rylee Tineri threw 2,0 innings of middle relief and allowed two runs on four hits. Briana Smith (1-1) was tagged with the loss throwing the seventh inning and giving up one run on three hits.
Kazmirski, Middleton ad
Haylee Mott (Kinsman, Ohio/Badger) each had three hist for the Pioneers.
Camryn Campbell (Mansfield, Ohio/Lexington) added two hits.
Marietta grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third inning against Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Taylor Airy (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by
Jillian Strecansky (Columbiana, Ohio/South Range). Metzger singled giving the Pioneers runners on the corners.
Metzger and Airy pulled off a successful double steal with Airy sliding in safely with the first run of the game. Metzger moved to third on a base hit from Campbell and scored on a sac fly from Kazmirski.
Dartmouth evened the score with a two-run home run from Jill Richards. The Corsairs took the lead with a run in the sixth on a solo home run from Lindsay Chubbuck.
Mackenzie Hartrum (Nashport, Ohio/Tri-Valley) reached on an error in the top of the seventh. She came around to score on a single up the middle from Campbell tying the game, 3-3.
Mass. Dartmouth walked it off with an RBI single from Dyonna Rodas in the bottom of the seventh.
Jill Richards (1-1) went the distance in the circle for the Corsairs. She was charged with three runs, two earned, on seven hits. Richards walked two and struck out six.
Amelia Timko (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) (0-1) took the loss. She worked 1.1 innings and gave up two runs on three hits.
Sarah Keating (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) started and threw 4.0 innings giving up two runs on four hits. Kazmirski and Middleton both threw in relief.
Metzger, Campbell and Kazmirski each had two hits for the Pioneers.
Marietta plays Thomas College and Lebanon Valley College on Tuesday (March 7). The Thomas game starts at 11:30 a.m. and the Lebanon Valley game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
Fans can follow the Pioneers all season long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
