GRANVILLE, Ohio — No. 19 ranked Marietta College erupted for 10 runs in the fifth inning to erase an early seven run deficit and defeat No. 13 Denison University by the score of 15-12 Thursday (April 13) evening. The Pioneers improve to 20-8 on the season, while Denison falls to 19-6 as Marietta swept the two-game season series with the Big Red.
Denison took advantage of three Pioneer errors in the bottom of the first inning to plate five runs, The Big Red added two more in the second for a 7-0 lead. Denison scored quickly in the first as Matt McClements led off the inning with a walk and Eric Colaco homered to left feld. Colaco added an RBI single in the second.
Alex Richter (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) worked a full-count walk in the top of the third.
Brett Carson (Ashville, Ohio/Teays Valley) followed with a single moving Richter into scoring position.
Ty Davis (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) knocked in Richter with a single through the right side.
Trent Valentine (Byesville, Ohio/Cambridge) led off the fourth with a triple and scored on a base hit from
Kail Hill (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) making it 7-2.
The Pioneers sent 15 batters to the plate in the fifth inning scoring 10 runs on 10 base hits. The first nine Marietta batters all reached base safely. Davis knocked in the first two runs with a double to right center. Valentine, Hill,
Matthew Busby (St. Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville), and
Nick Bonnizzio (Hudson, Ohio/Twinsburg) each had RBI singles, Carson drove in one with a double, Davis picked up an RBI on an error, and
Ben Kaplin (Louisville, Ky./Ballard) drove in the final run with a single.
Marietta added three more in the sixth. Busby and Bonnizzio both singled. Richter singled up the middle scoring Busby and moving Bonnizzio to third. A sac fly from Carson scored Bonnizzio. Davis singled and Kaplin walked loading the bases for Valentine. Valentine was hit by a pitch forcing in Richter to make it 15-7.
Denison refused to go quietly as the Big Rd scored two in the sixth and three more in the seventh cutting the Pioneer lead to three, 15-12.
Jacob Rocky (Strongsville, Ohio/St. Ignatius) held Denison scoreless in the final two innings for the Pioneer win.
Braden Shepherd (Huntington, W.Va./Huntington) started on the mound for Marietta and threw 1.0 inning. He gave up seven runs, five earned, on six hits.
Josh Pedersen (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) worked 1.2 shutout innings before turning the ball over to
Gino Sabatine (Alliance, Ohio/West Branch).
Sabatine (2-2) got the win pitching 3.0 innings of middle relief. He was charged with two runs on three hits with three walks.
Dawson Pierce (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) allowed three runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Rocky came on in the seventh and pitched the final 2.2 innings giving up no runs on one hit with one walk and two strikeouts.
Denison sent nine pitchers to the mound. Will Rettig started and threw 1.2 shutout innings giving up two hits. George Viebrock (4-2) was tagged with the loss. He surrendered five runs on six hits in 1.0 inning of work.
The Etta Express had 20 base hits in the game as the three, four and five hitters went a combined 10-for-15 with seven runs batted in. Davis had four hits, including a double and four RBI. Carson was 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI, while Kaplin collected three hits and one RBI.
Bonnizzio, Valentine, Hill, and Busby each had two hits in the game for the Pioneers.
Marietta hosts Wilmington College this Saturday (April 15) for Community Day at Pioneer Park. Festivities open at 11:00 a.m. and the first game begins at 1:00 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.
