AUBURNDALE, Florida — The Marietta College softball team split a pair of games Thursday (March 9) at The Spring Games. The Pioneers defeated Carnegie Mellon University, 8-7, and then lost to Simmons University, 2-1. Marietta moves to 3-5 on the season.
After giving up a run in the top half of the first inning against Carnegie Mellon, the Pioneers tied the game when
Shelby Metzger (Beavercreek Township, Ohio/Beavercreek) singled to right field, advanced to second on a
Camryn Campbell (Mansfield, Ohio/Lexington) sacrifice bunt, and scored on a
Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) single.
Carnegie Mellon regained the lead with two runs in the top of the second, but Marietta answered again. Tartans starting pitcher Haley Pucci walked the bases loaded and was replaced by Olivia Van Zandt, who in turn walked Campbell, forcing home a run for the Pioneers. Kazmirski would follow with a double to left center, driving home two runs and giving Marietta a 4-3 lead.
Jillian Middleton (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) replaced Pioneer starting pitcher
Sarah Keating (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) to begin the third inning and allowed three runs. After a scoreless bottom of the third inning, the Tartans led 6-4.
Marietta broke out for a big fourth inning.
Taylor Watts (Galloway, Ohio/West Jefferson) led off with an infield single. After Shelby Meztger reached on an error, Campbell loaded the bases with another infield single. Kazmirski then emptied the bases with a grand slam to left field and the Pioneers led 8-6 after four innings.
Breanna Zirkle (Pomeroy, Ohio/Meigs) relieved Middleton in the fifth and worked a scoreless fifth inning. Carnegie Mellon plated a run in the sixth but could get no closer.
Amelia Timko (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) worked a scoreless seventh inning but not without some suspense. After Piper Johnson singled for the Tartans, Koko Sagae doubled to center field. Watts tracked down the ball and sent a great relay to Kazmirski, who threw to Pioneer catcher
Jillian Strecansky (Columbiana, Ohio/South Range), tagging out the possible tying run. Timko got the next batter to fly out and the Pioneers would win, 8-7.
Keating started in the circle for the Pioneers and worked 2.0 innings. She allowed two runs on six hits. Middleton (1-2) got the win in relief. She tossed 2.0 innings and gave up three runs on three hits. Zirkle threw 2.0 innings and surrendered a run on two hits. Timko earned the save (1) as she gave up two hits without giving up a run.
Kazmirski had three hits and drove in seven runs for the Pioneers. Watts was the only other Pioneer with multiple hits in the game with two.
In the second game, the Pioneers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning.
Katy Story (Billings, Mont./Skyview) pinch hit and reached on a two-base error. She moved to third on a passed ball and later score on an RBI single from Metzger.
Simmons plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead. Raya Anderson and Leah Conner reached on one-out walks and moved to third on a ground out to the pitcher. Shannon McMahon walked to load the bases and Maddie Castigliego followed with a two-run single to center scoring the tying and winning runs.
Amelia Timko (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) started in the circle and threw 2.0 innings. She allowed no runs on one hit. Middleton took over and was tagged with the loss (1-3) allowing two runs on one hit with three walks and four strikeouts.
Emily Deleault (1-0) went the distance for the win. She allowed one unearned run on five hits and two strikeouts.
Camryn Campbell (Mansfield, Ohio/Lexington) led the Pioneers with a pair of singles.
Marietta closes out the Florida portion of its schedule with two games on Friday (March 10). The Pioneers play Roanoke College at 9:00 a.m. and Johnson & Wales University at 11:30 a.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.
