MARIETTA, Ohio — For the second time in two days, the Marietta College baseball team won in extra innings. Sunday (April 27) afternoon the Pioneers defeated Washington & Jefferson College by the score of 8-7 in 11 innings. Marietta improves to 17-18 on the season, while the Presidents slip to 26-10 overall.
Nick Bonnizzio (Hudson, Ohio/Twinsburg) doubled with two outs in the bottom of the eleventh inning.
Cael Magill (Atco, N.J./King's Christian) hit a chopper to the first base side of the mound that the pitcher failed to field. Bonnizzio was moving on contact and never stopped.
Rounding third at full speed as the second baseman tried to get Magill at first base, Bonnizzio sprinted toward the plate. Magill easily beat the throw and by the time the President first baseman realized that Bonnizzio was headed home, it was too late to get him at the plate as he scored the winning run.
Bonnizzio finished the game 4-for-6 with two doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored. Magill had two hits, including a solo home run, and two RBI, while
Diego DeCello (Hamilton, Ohio/Badin) had two hits, including a double and an RBI.
Washington & Jefferson scored four runs in the top of the third and then didn't score again until plating three runs in the ninth to send the game into extra innings tied, 7-7.
The Presidents strung together five straight hits in the third. Brendan Cruz and Jacob LaDuca singled, followed by an RBI single from Drew Garth. Knox Meier drove in LaDuca with a single through the left side of the infield and promptly stole second. Scout Zaas finished the rally with a two-run double to left center.
Marietta answered with three runs in the home half of the inning to get within a run, 4-3.
Thomson Babineau (Scituate, Mass./Calvary Chapel) led off with a single and stole second. He moved to third on a ground out from
Bryce Bogan (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick).
Drew McKenna (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) laced a double into the left field corner scoring Babineau.
Jeremy Tonelli (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) reached on an error and
Cam Russell (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) was hit by a pitch loading the bases. Bonnizzio drove in McKenna with a single and Magill plated Tonelli with an infield single to short.
The Pioneers took the lead in the fourth. A sacrifice fly from Bogan scored
Jameson Embrescia (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora) and Tonelli drove in a run with a single through the right side of the infield for a 5-4 Pioneer lead.
DeCello made it 6-4 with an RBI single in the fifth. Magill added another run when he launched a solo home run over the left field wall in the seventh.
WJC battled back in the ninth. Garth smacked an RBI double to right center. Eli Owens singled to center scoring a run, and Brian Feldman tied the game with an RBI double down the right field line.
Garth led the Presidents with three hits, including a double, and two RBI. LaDuca and Zaas had two hits apiece.
Brennan Stobbs (Medina, Ohio/Medina) (2-3) got the win throwing the final 3.0 innings and giving up one run on two hits. He walked one and struck out four.
Josh Booth (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) made his first career start and worked 5.0 innings. He allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Reece Rupert (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine Richland) walked both batters he faced, and
Matthew Farmer (Amanda, Ohio/Teays Valley) tossed 3.0 innings giving up two runs on two hits.
Brendan Cruz (0-1) took the loss. Cruz pitched the final 3.2 innings and allowed one unearned run on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Nate Nolan started and gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits in 3.0 innings. Three other pitchers toed the rubber in relief for WJC.
Marietta hosts Muskingum University on Tuesday (April 29) for a single, nonconference game at 7:00 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.
