TIFFIN, Ohio — Marietta College swept a wild doubleheader from Heidelberg University Saturday (April 29) in Ohio Athletic Conference softball action. The Pioneers won game one 403 in 10 innings and then completed the sweep with a 12-8 win in nine innings in game two.
Marietta improves to 23-11 overall and 12-4 in the OAC. The 23 wins are the most for the Pioneers since going 23-13 in 2009. With two conference games to play, Marietta is tied with Mount Union for first place in the OAC standings. The Pioneers have already clinched a spot in the OAC Tournament for the first time since 2014, but have their sights set on the regular season championship and the right to host the tournament.
Micaela Bradley (Greenup, Ill./Cumberland) smacked a two-out triple in the top if the tenth inning in game one.
Taylor Watts (Galloway, Ohio/West Jefferson) followed with an RBI single to left scoring Bradley with the winning run.
Heidelberg got a leadoff double from Caitlynn Newlen in the bottom of the inning. Newlen moved to third on a ground out by Hannah Blasinsky. Murissa Drown hit a ground ball to Bradley at short who fired the ball home in time to get Newlen and preserve the Pioneer lead. Ellie Tressler grounded out to end the game.
Jillian Strecansky (Columbiana, Ohio/South Range) drove in a run on a ground out in the top of the second.
Camryn Campbell (Mansfield, Ohio/Lexington) drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth forcing in a Pioneer run and
Jess Brown (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) had an RBI double in the ninth.
Heidelberg answered with single runs in the fifth, seventh and ninth innings.
Breanna Zirkle (Pomeroy, Ohio/Meigs) (5-0) got the win in relief. Zirkle threw 3.0 innings and allowed one run on three hits. She walked one and struck out one.
Sarah Keating (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) started and worked 4.0 innings giving up one run on one hit. Jillian Middelton allowed one run on one hit in 3.0 innings of middle relief.
Jessica Voitko started and pitched 5.2 innings for Heidelberg. She was charged with two runs, one earned, on five hits with six walks and five strikeouts. Payton Scheid (2-3) took the loss after giving up two runs on four hits in 4.1 innings of work.
Bradley was the lone Pioneer with two hits in the game.
Game two started out as a low scoring affair and the Pioneers trailed 3-1 heading into the top of the fifth inning. Marietta erupted for five runs in the fifth to claim a 6-3 lead.
Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) drove in the first run of the rally with a single to left. Brown plated three runs with a double to left and Hayley Mott knocked in the final run with a double down the left field line.
Heidelberg reclaimed the lead with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Student Princes sent eight batters to the plate and collected five hits in the frame.
Taylor Airy (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) delivered and RBI single in the seventh to tie the game, 7-7. The score remained tied until Marietta struck for five runs in the top of the ninth inning.
Airy came through again with an RBI double down the right field line giving Marietta the lead. Strecansky plated two runs with a single and Campbell drove in a run with a single through the right side if the infield. The final Pioneer run came when
Shelby Metzger (Beavercreek Township, Ohio/Beavercreek) drew a bases-loaded walk.
Middleton (11-4) got the win. She gave up one unearned run on four hits in 2.2 innings.
Amelia Timko (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) started and threw 4.0 innings giving up two runs on five hits. Keating worked 1.0 inning and Zirkle tossed 1.1 innings giving up four runs on four hits.
Caitlin Dems (5-4) was tagged with the loss. Dems allowed nine runs on 14 hits in 6.0 innings in the circle. Voitko and Hailey Schink both threw in relief.
Watts, Kazmirski and Mott each had three hits in the game. Campbell, Airy and Bradley had two hits and Brown drove in three runs.
Marietta travels to Case Western Reserve University on Wednesday (May 3) for a single game starting at 4:00 p.m.
Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams 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.
