MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team split a pair of games Monday (Mar. 24) afternoon with Hiram College. The Pioneers lost game one, 6-3, but came back to run-rule the Terriers in game two, 10-2. The Pioneers move to 12-2 on the season and Hiram moves to 8-6 on the season.
The Pioneers had opportunities all throughout in game one but stranded 11 runners. Marietta loaded the bases in the bottom half of the second as
Camryn Kiefer (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) and
Baylee Comer (Howard, Ohio/East Knox) walked and Grace Elliot was hit by a pitch, but could not plate a run as
Liz White (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) flew out to end the inning. Hiram played small ball in the third and fourth innings to generate a run in each inning. Fayth Kawamura singled home Haven Papineau in the third to take the lead. Darian Kanno led off the fourth with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. She eventually scored on a Pioneer throwing error and the Terriers led 2-0 going into the bottom half of the fourth.
Hiram scored three more runs in the top of the fifth to extend the lead, but Marietta tried to claw back in the bottom of the inning.
Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) and
Adisson Heath (Weston, W.Va./Lewis County) both singled.
Hailey Fordyce (Byesville, Ohio/Meadowbrook) brought home a run with a sacrifice fly and
Aiyana Hancock (Marietta, Ohio/Warren Local) provided a two-out pinch hit double to cut the lead to three.
Hiram added an insurance run in the top of the sixth and the Pioneers could only counter with a run in the seventh. Kazmirski led with a double and moved to third after
Becca Streets (Buckeye Lake, Ohio/Hebron Lakewood) and
Hailey Fordyce (Byesville, Ohio/Meadowbrook) walked. Kazmirski scored on a wild pitch but the Pioneers could not do any more damage. Hiram claimed the 6-3 victory.
Kiefer (7-1) got the start for the Pioneers and work four innings allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits. She walked one and struck out one. Hancock worked two innings and gave up four runs on four hits. Emma Cuzzo work one scoreless inning.
Kanno (7-0) went the distance for the Terriers to earn the decision giving up three earned runs on six hits. She struck out 11 and walked six.
After a scoreless first inning in game two, the Pioneers put together a four-run second inning to take early control. Fordyce provided an RBI single and Kazmirski followed with a two-run double to give the Pioneers the edge. Hiram plated runs in the fourth and fifth innings in an attempt to get back in the contest.
Marietta had an explosive fifth inning that ended up closing out the contest.
Jordan Bradford (Wellington, Ohio/Black River) opened the inning with a pinch hit double and came around to score when Hancock also provided a pinch-hit double.
Katie Sweeney (Alexandria, N.H./Newfound Regional) then came up and blasted a pinch-hit homer to right center field. After White was hit by a pitch and
Emilie Johnson (Lucasville, Ohio/Valley) hit a single, Kazmirski closed out the game with a walk off double and the Pioneers claimed the 10-2 run rule victory.
Amelia Timko (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) (2-0) got the start and worked four strong innings for the victory. She allowed one unearned run on four hits with one strikeout. Johnson worked 1.0 innings and gave up one run on two hits
Lillie Greene (0-4) went the distance for the Terriers. She was charged with 10 runs on 16 hits in 4.0 innings of work.
Kazmirski went 6-for-6 in the doubleheader and drove in five runs, all in game two.
Marietta will open the conference portion of their schedule this Saturday (March 29) and they welcome in Ohio Northern University for a doubleheader. First pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
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.
