PORT CHARLOTTE, Florida — No. 24 ranked Marietta College left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Pioneers lost to No. 13 Misericordia University by the score of 2-1 Wednesday (Mar. 6) afternoon in the Snowbird Classic. The loss drops Marietta to 3-5 on the season. Misericordia improves to 6-4 overall.
Misericordia took advantage of a Pioneer throwing error to score a pair of unearned runs in the second inning. Joe Comins was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Connor Maryniak sacrificed Comins to second base. Jared Hoffman reached on the error that allowed Comins to score. Following a flyout, Owen Cordner tripled scoring Hoffman.
Maryniak (2-2) went the distance on the mound for the Cougars and kept the Pioneer offense in check all afternoon. Maryniak allowed one run on nine hits with two walks and nine strikeouts.
The Pioneers cut the lead in half with their lone run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Cole Rieman (West Chester, Ohio/Archbishop Moeller) led off with an infield single.
Alex Richter (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) singled up the middle moving Rieman over to third.
Ben Kaplin (Louisville, Ky./Ballard) grounded into a double play that allowed Rieman to score.
After allowing the two runs in the second inning, Marietta starter
Forrest Havanis (Washington, Pa./Trinity) (0-1) and
Zach Marzetz (Blacklick, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln) held the Cougars scoreless the rest of the way. Havanis worked 7.0 innings and allowed three hits and struck out three. Marzetz threw the final 2.0 innings and gave up one hit, walked two and struck out two.
Marietta tried to rally in the ninth.
Trent Valentine (Byesville, Ohio/Cambridge) worked a one-out walk and
Jeremy Tonelli (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) singled through the right side of the infield moving Valentine to third. Following a strikeout for the second out if the inning, Tonelli stole second and
Austin Amburgey (Miamisburg, Ohio/Miamisburg) walked to load the bases.
Cael Magill (Atco, N.J./King's Christian) pinch ran for Amburgey at first base. Pioneer leadoff hitter
Nick Bonnizzio (Hudson, Ohio/Twinsburg) hit a ground ball to the shortstop who fielded the ball and made a diving tag at second base just ahead of Magill for the final out of the game.
Richter went 3-for-4 with a double to lead the Pioneer offense. Valentine had two hits and Amburgey had a double.
Marietta and Misericordia will face off again on Thursday (Mar. 7). First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.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 X and Instagram.
