NEW CONCORD, Ohio — Kalie Eshelman led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a walk off solo home run as Muskingum University swept an Ohio Athletic Conference softball doubleheader from Marietta College Friday (April 19) afternoon. The Muskies won game one, 5-0, and took the second game by the score of 4-3.
Marietta falls to 11-16 overall and 3-7 in the OAC. Muskingum improves to 21-7 overall and 8-2 in the OAC.
Muskingum jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second game with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. The Muskies got RBI singles from Cara Taylor, Rosie Hayes and Eshelman in the inning.
Jess Brown (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville) launched a two-run home run to center field in the top of the third inning cutting the Muskie lead to one, 3-2. Brown's home run was her eighth on the season tying her for the most in the OAC this spring.
The Pioneers tied the game in the sixth.
Jillian Strecansky (Columbiana, Ohio/South Range) reached on a one out infield single and moved to second on a ground out from
Camryn Campbell (Ontario, Ohio/Lexington).
Grace Elliott (Akron, Ohio/Green) singled up the middle scoring Strecansky for a 3-3 tie.
Marietta got two runners on in the seventh but couldn't push a run across. In the home half of the inning, Eshelman homered for the 4-3 win.
Tareyn Born (7-3) went the distance in the circle for the Muskies. She worked 7.0 innings and gave up three runs on 14 hits. Born walked one and struck out five.
Breanna Zirkle (Pomeroy, Ohio/Meigs) started for the Pioneers and threw 1.2 innings giving up three runs on seven hits.
Amelia Timko (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) tossed 2.1 shutout innings before turning the ball over to
Jillian Middleton (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) (4-5). Middleton allowed one run on one hit with four strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work.
Brown was 3-for-4 at the plate with the two-run home run. Strecansky had three hits and scored one run. Elliott,
Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) and Middleton each had two hits in the game.
The first game featured a dominant performance from Muskingum starting pitcher Madelyn Thomas (8-3). Thomas scattered three hits and struck out 11 Pioneer batters.
Candace Walters (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy) (1-3) took the loss allowing four runs on five hits in 3.0 innings.
Lily Williams (Tipp City, Ohio/Bethel) allowed one run on three hits in 3.0 innings.
The Muskies scored three runs in the first and then added a run in the third and one more in the fifth for the 5-0 victory.
Marietta travels to John Carroll University on Saturday (April 20) for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.
Fans can follow the Pioneers all season long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on X and Instagram.
