ALLIANCE, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team opened the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament with the loss to Baldwin Wallace University, 3-2, Thursday (May 11) afternoon. 

After a scoreless top half of the first inning, Marietta was able to get their first batters on base.  Taylor Watts (Galloway, Ohio/West Jefferson) reached on an error and Camryn Campbell (Mansfield, Ohio/Lexington) walked.  Both runners advanced when Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) flied out, but could get no further as Jillian Middleton (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) and Jess Brown (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) both struck out to end the inning.
 
The Yellow Jackets got on the board in the third in the third inning.  Breanna Zirkle (Pomeroy, Ohio/Meigs) came in to relieve Pioneers starter Kazmirski and gave up two singles.  After Macaria Fox walked, Steph Mraz singled down the left field line to plate two runs.  Marietta got out of the inning on a double play where, after making the catch, Watts threw out Fox at third base.  

Marietta tied it up in the bottom half of the inning when Kazmirski doubled home a run and then scored on a Haylee Mott (Kinsman, Ohio/Badger) single.  
 
In the top half of the sixth inning, Jillian Middleton (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta), in her second inning of relief, faced BW's Bridie Bricker.  Bricker reached base on an error and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt.  Lucia Wolford then came up and singled up the middle, driving home the go-ahead run.  Marietta was retired in order in the final two inning and took the opening round loss.
 
Middleton (11-5) took the loss. She gave up one unearned run on three hits in 4.0 innings. Kazmirski worked the first two innings and gave up no runs and no hits.  Zirkle gave up two runs and three hits in her lone inning of work.

Marisa Hall (13-6) went the distance in the circle for the Yellow Jackets. Hall gave up two runs on four hits with two walks and nine strikeouts in 7.0 innings.

The No.2 seeded Pioneers now await the losing team of the Mount Union/Muskingum matchup.  The elimination game is scheduled to begin at 4:30p.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.