MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team secured a victory over their arch rival Muskingum University, 8-6, Tuesday (April 15) afternoon.  The two teams were scheduled to play a doubleheader but the second game was halted in the fifth inning due to darkness and was officially called a no contest.  
 
Marietta improves to 15-8 overall and 3-6 in the OAC. Muskingum falls to 10-13 overall and 6-5 in the OAC.
 
The Pioneers jumped out to an early lead after Grace Elliot singled, stole second, and scored on a Becca Streets (Buckeye Lake, Ohio/Hebron Lakewood) single.  Muskingum tied it in the top half of the second with an RBI single from Cara Taylor.  Pioneer starting pitcher Camryn Keifer helped her own situation in the bottom half of the second inning as she launched a home run to straight-away center field to give Marietta the lead.
 
After the Muskies tied it again in the third inning, Marietta took control with four runs in the bottom half.  Adi Heath blasted a two-run homer to right field and, two batters later, Keifer again went yard to center field, giving Marietta an 6-2 lead.
 
After Liz White (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) added an insurance run with a home run in the bottom of the fourth, Muskingum tried to chip away at the deficit.  Casey Timko nailed a home run to left center field in the fifth and Mattie Bailey drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth to cut the lead to three.
 
Marietta added another run in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI-groundout by Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) to lead 8-4 going into the final inning.  The Muskies got doubles from Sydnie Prince and Natalie Smith to plate a run. Smith came around to score on a fielding error but the Pioneers got out of trouble as Keifer got Taylor to groundout and the Pioneers claimed the 8-6 victory.
 
Keifer (9-4) went the distance in the circle for the Pioneers. She worked 7.0 innings and gave up six runs, four earned, on nine hits. Born walked five and struck out five.
 
Bethany Rodman (5-5) started for the Muskies and threw 2.1 innings giving up four runs on six hits. Prince tossed one inning and gave three runs on two hits.  Taeryn Born worked the final 2.2 innings and gave up a run on two hits, striking out three.
 
Streets was 3-for-4 at the plate with a run batted in.  Keifer went 2-for-2 with two homers and three runs batted in.  White had two hits, scored one run, and drove in a run. 
 
Marietta will next battle John Carroll University at home on Friday (April 18) 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.