COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team closed out the regular season with a doubleheader split at Capital University Saturday (May 6) afternoon. Capital won the first game, 9-4, while the Pioneers took game two by the score of 2-1.
Pioneers are now 24-13 overall and 13-5 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The Comets end their season with a 15-17 overall record and 7-11 in the OAC. Marietta will be the No. 2 seed in next week's OAC Tournament hosted by No. 1 seed Mount Union. The Pioneers will play No. 3 seed Baldwin Wallace in the first round. The Purple Raiders will face No. 4 seed Muskingum in the first round.
Capital erupted for six runs in the first inning of game one. Lexie Leggett led off with a single and was sacrificed to second base. Kyleigh Kirby followed with a two-run home run to right-center. Reagan Irons added a two-run single and Kelcie Schnitzler drove in a run with a single during the inning.
Marietta responded with four runs I the top of the third inning.
Taylor Watts (Galloway, Ohio/West Jefferson) led off with a walk and
Camryn Campbell (Mansfield, Ohio/Lexington) singled moving Watts to third base. Kazmirski plated Watts with a sac fly. Mott added an RBI single and
Taylor Airy (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) knocked in two runs with a double to right center.
The Comets added insurance runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth for a 9-4 lead.
Brianna Shearer (8-7) started and went the distance in the circle for Capital. She gave up four runs, one earned, on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Sarah Keating (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) (2-1) started and took the loss. Keating allowed four runs on four hits in one-third of an inning.
Amelia Timko (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) gave up two runs on three hits in 1.2 innings.
Jillian Middleton (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) worked 3.2 innings and gave up three runs, two earned, on five hits.
Breanna Zirkle (Pomeroy, Ohio/Meigs) allowed one hit in one-third of an inning.
Capital scored in the bottom of the first inning in game two, but was limited to just one run this time around. Leggett led off with a double and was sacrificed over to third. She scored on a ground out from Kirby.
Marietta plated two runs in the top of third. Watts led off with an infield single and stole second. Campbell single to right scoring Watts. Campbell stole second and then moved to third on a ground out from
Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke). She scored when Middleton grounded to the shortstop.
That would be all of the runs scored as both pitchers kept the opposing offenses in check. Zirkle (6-1) threw just the second complete game of the season for Marietta. She scattered four hits and walked one. Shearer (8-8) also allowed just four hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Marietta's nonconference doubleheader at DePauw University scheduled for Monday (May 8) has been canceled and will not be made up. The Pioneers will be back in action on Thursday (May 11) in the OAC Tournament.
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.
