MARIETTA, Ohio — Bryce Bogan (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) worked a two out, bases loaded walk giving Marietta College a 4-3 win over visiting Johnson & Wales University Thursday (Mar. 13) afternoon in the first game of the BSN Sports Invitational at Pioneer Park. Marietta improves to 7-4 overall, while the Wildcats fall to 3-7 on the season.

Trailing the entire game, Marietta plated two runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 3-2 lead. Shane Rothlisberger (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) reached on a one-out single and scored when Cam Russell (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) triples to the wall in right center. Drew McKenna (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) followed with a single off the pitcher's glove scoring Russell.

Brennan Stobbs (Medina, Ohio/Medina) took over on the mound for Jared Bees (Pittsburgh, Pa./Eden Christian) to start the ninth inning for the Pioneers. Ryan Ducey reached on a one out walk and Jeff Valdez Jimenez was hit by a pitch moving Ducey into scoring position. Owen Davis followed with a sharp single through the right side of the infield scoring Ducey with the tying run. Stobbs struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the ninth, Wildcat pitcher Garrett Fusco retired the first two Pioneer batters on ground balls in the infield. Will Loftus (Westfield, Ind./Brebeuf Jesuit) reached on an error by the second baseman and moved to second on a wild pitch.

A second miscue by the JWU second baseman allowed Diego DeCello (Hamilton, Ohio/Badin) to reach safely and Loftus moved over to third. Russell was intentionally walked loading the bases. Bogan pinch hit for Jameson Embrescia (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora) and ran the count full before receiving the base on balls that gave Marietta the walk-off victory.

Johnson & Wales took the early lead with a run in the first and an unearned run in the second. Jimenez drove in the first run with a ground ball in the infield. Ducey made ot 2-0 with an RBI double in the second.

Marietta got on the board in the fifth. Thomson Babineau (Scituate, Mass./Calvary Chapel) singles. Caden Hall (Cox Mills, W.Va./Gilmer County) followed with a sharply hit ball that deflected off Vining allowing Babineau to move all the way to third base. Cael Magill (Atco, N.J./King's Christian) plated Babineau with a ground ball to the first baseman.

Jacob Rocky (Strongsville, Ohio/St. Ignatius) started on the mound for Marietta and threw 5.0 solid innings. He allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Jared Bees (Pittsburgh, Pa./Eden Christian) worked 3.0 shutout innings scattering three hits, walking two and striking out three.

Stobbs (1-0) picked up the win tossing 1.0 innings and allowing one run on one hit with a walk and two strikeouts.

Aidan Vining started for the Wildcats and pitched 7.1 innings. He gave up three runs on 14 hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. Fusco (0-1) took the loss allowing one unearned run on no hits in 1.1 innings of work. He walked two.

Jeremy Tonelli (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) went 3-for-3 to lead the Pioneer attack. Rothlisberger, Russell, Babineau, and Hall each had two hits in the game.

Marietta hosts Ithaca College Friday (Mar. 14) at 5:30 p.m. The day starts with Wittenberg and Case Western at 11:00 a.m. followed by Johnson & Wales versus Ithaca at 2:30 p.m.

Fans can follow 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.