MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team dropped their first game of the season but came back with a lop-sided victory in the second game and split with Penn State Behrend Saturday (March 22) afternoon. The Lions won game one after a final inning comeback, 11-6, but the Pioneers took game two with a score of 26-10.

Marietta moves to 11-1 on the season, while Penn State is now 5-9 overall.

Marietta put Camryn Kiefer (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) in the circle for game one and she responded with three scoreless innings pitched, striking out three and only giving up one hit.  The Lions got to her in the fourth inning, though, as Jocelyn McNany homered to left center for the first score of the game.  Kiefer would go on to retire the next three batters to get out of the inning.  The Pioneers got the offense moving in the bottom half of the inning.  After Hailey Fordyce (Byesville, Ohio/Meadowbrook) walked and Becca Streets (Buckeye Lake, Ohio/Hebron Lakewood) singled, Adisson Heath (Weston, W.Va./Lewis County) nailed a two-out, three-run home run to straight away center field to give Marietta a 3-1 lead going into the fourth inning.
 
After Kiefer kept the Lions scoreless in the top half of the fourth, Marietta extended the lead as Liz White (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) doubled home a run and came around on Fordyce's two-run double, putting the lead at 6-1.  Penn State Behrend got another run in the sixth as McNary singled, stole second, and came home on a single from pinch-hitter Athena Iverson.  Abby Tingley, the Lions game one starter, retired the Pioneers in order in the home half of the inning and Marietta led 6-2 going into the final inning.
 
The Lions started to get to Kiefer in the seventh as they began the inning with three extra-base hits, plating two runs.  Aiyana Hancock (Marietta, Ohio/Warren Local) was brought is to try and shut the door but was not able to offer a solution.  After walking her first two batters, Hancock gave up a two-run single to Julia Jones that would tie the game at six. Iverson and Karma Malcolm followed with run-scoring doubles to give Penn State Behrens the lead.  Amelia Timko (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) was brought in for relief and, after giving up a homer to Sierra Williams, finally got the Pioneers out of the inning, but the damage was done as the Lions now led by five runs. Marietta could not overcome the difference in the bottom of the seventh would go on to drop game one, 11-6.

Kiefer started and gave up five runs, all earned, on nine hits in 6.0 innings, striking out six. Hancock took the loss (2-1) in relief and was charged with five runs on three hits in 0.1 innings and Timko worked the final 0.2 innings giving up one run and two hits.

Abby Tingley (2-5) went the distance in the circle for Penn State and gave up six runs on nine hits with four strikeouts in 7.0 innings.

In game two, the Pioneers grabbed a 9-0 lead in the top of the first as the first seven hitters got on base either by a walk or hit by pitch, plating four runs.  Hancock then promptly cleared the bases with a grand slam to left center field.  After White doubled, Streets doubled her home to complete the nine-run inning.  
 
The Lions got on the board in the second as Williams hit a two-run blast, but Marietta went back to work in the bottom half.  Hancock and White both nailed two-run doubles to push the lead back to 11 runs.  Heath drew a bases loaded walk to score another run and Taylor Airy (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to put the score at 15-2 after two innings of play.
 
Penn State Behrend cut into the big lead as they put together a big third inning for themselves.  Emilie Johnson (Lucasville, Ohio/Valley) came in to relieve Pioneer starter Hancock and, after walking her first batter, gave up a two-run double to McNary.  After Jones reached on a Pioneer fielding error to load the bases, Iverson brought home two runs with a double.  Candace Walters (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy) came in to pitch but gave up three run-producing hits, the last being an infield RBI single by Izabel Pozer, to cut the Pioneer lead to five.  The Pioneers got two runs back in the bottom half of the inning and led 17-10 going into the fourth inning.
 
Kiefer came in to pitch the fourth and retired the Lions in order.  In the bottom half, Marietta got an abundance of insurance runs.  White doubled in two runs and came around on Fordyce's double to put the lead at ten runs.  After Kiefer drew a bases-loaded walk, Katie Sweeney (Alexandria, N.H./Newfound Regional) blasted a grand slam for the ultimate finishing touch on the afternoon.  Kiefer again retired the side in order in the top of the fifth and the Pioneers would claim the 26-10 victory.
 
Hancock started and threw two innings, allowing two runs on one hit. Johnson work 0.1 innings and gave up six runs on three hits.  Walters worked 0.2 innings and gave up two runs on four hits.  Kiefer earned the decision (7-0) as she closed out with two perfect innings.

The Lion pitching staff walked 16 Pioneers in game two.  Jones (2-3) started and failed to retire any of the five batters she faced.  Lauren Rabanel worked 1.1 innings and gave up nine runs on seven hits.  McNary worked 0.2 innings, walking six and giving up three runs.  Tingley worked the final two innings and gave up nine runs, only three earned, on seven hits.  

Marietta will next play Hiram College on Monday (March 24) with the first pitch of game one scheduled for 2:00 p.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 X and Instagram.