TIFFIN, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team split an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader at Heidelberg University Saturday (April 26) afternoon. The Pioneers won game one, 4-3, and the Heidelberg took game two, 6-3. Marietta is 18-12-1 overall and 5-8 in the OAC. The Student Princes are now 19-19 overall and 6-10 in the OAC.
 
The Pioneers scored two runs in the first and two more in the third and then held off Heidelberg for the game one victory. Two of Marietta's runs were unearned as Heidelberg committed an error in both innings that the Pioneers scored runs.
 
Liz White (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) led off with a walk and was sacrificed into scoring position. She moved to third on a single from Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) and scored on a fielder's choice from Becca Streets (Buckeye Lake, Ohio/Hebron Lakewood). Kazmirski scored later on a Heidelberg error for a 2-0 Pioneer lead.
 
In the third inning, Kenzi Denzer (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) led off with a single and moved to third on a double from Streets. Taylor Airy (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) reached on a throwing error that allowed Denxer to score. Streets scored later in the inning on a single from Grace Elliott (Akron, Ohio/Green).
 
Camryn Kiefer (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) (12-6) went the distance in the circle for the win. She allowed three runs, one earned, on six hits. Kiefer walked four and struck out four.
 
A Pioneer error led to two unearned runs for Heidelberg in the bottom of the second. Inning. The Student Princes added a third run in the fifth inning when Leah Arnett led off with a single, stole second, and scored on a single from Ellie Tressler.
 
Haley Gockstetter (8-9) started in the circle for Heidelberg and took the loss. She threw 5.0 innings and allowed four runs, one earned, on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout. Taylor Forrest worked the final 2.0 innings with allowing a hit and striking out two Pioneer hitters.
 
Denzer and Streets each had two hits in the game for the Pioneers.
 
In the second game, Heidelberg jumped out to a 4-0 lead with two runs in each of the first two innings. The Student Princes added two more runs in the sixth inning to seal the victory.
 
Marietta cut the Berg lead in half with two runs in the third. White had an RBI double, and Kazmirski drove in White and a single to right field making it 4-2.
 
The Pioneers got within a run, 4-3, in the fifth on an RBI single from Kazmirski that scored Mallory Gorgacz (Edinburg, Pa./Union Area). White was thrown out at the plate trying to tie the game on Kamirski's hit.
 
Amelia Timko (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) (3-1) started and took the loss for the Pioneers. She gave up four runs on seven hits in 2.0 innings of work. Aiyana Hancock (Marietta, Ohio/Warren Local) allowed two runs on four hits in 3.1 innings, while Kiefer worked the final two-thirds of an inning.
 
Forrest (9-7) went the distance in the circle for the win. She allowed three runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
 
White and Kazmirski each had two hits in the game for Marietta.
 
Marietta plays at Mount Union on Sunday (April 27). The first game starts at 1:00 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.