MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College scored five runs in the first inning en route to a 13-1 victory over Berry College Friday (Feb. 27) afternoon at Pioneer Park. The Pioneers move to 1-2 on the season, while Berry falls to 6-2 overall.
 
After Pioneer ace Austin Ziance (Highland Heights, Ohio/Mayfield) retired the Vikings in order in the top of the first, Bradley Jones (Louisville, Ky./Ferncreek) set the tone when he launched a leadoff home run way over the left field wall in the bottom of the frame. Later in the inning, Diego DeCello (Hamilton, Ohio/Badin) smacked a two-run single to right, while Thomson Babineau (Scituate, Mass./Calvary Chapel) and Bryce Bogan (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) each had RBI singles staking the Pioneers to a 5-0 lead.
 
Bogan made it 6-0 when he plated a run in the third on a fielder's choice that scored DeCello, who reached on a double. Berry got on the board in the fourth inning. Garrett Lang led off with a single and stole second. He moved to third on a single from Tanaka Mukono and scored on a ground out by Austin Jetmore.
 
That would be Berry's only run of the game. Ziance kept the Vikings off balance and off the base paths. He retired Berry in order in six of the eight innings he pitched. Ziance (1-1) scattered four hits and struck out eight, with one walk, in 8.0 innings for his first win of the season. Jared Bees (Pittsburgh, Pa./Eden Christian) threw the ninth and retired all three batters he faced.
 
Marietta took advantage of a Viking error to score an unearned run in the fourth. Jones reached on a two-base error by the Berry left fielder and went to third on a wild pitch. He scored on a ground out off the bat of Trevor Hall (Fishers, Ind./Fishers).
 
Drew McKenna (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) had a two-run double to center in the sixth extending the Pioneer lead to 9-1. In the seventh, Jones drove in a run with a sac fly and then a three-run double from Michael Ciavolella (Tallmadge, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) increased the lead to 13-1.
 
DeCello went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI to lead the Marietta offense. Bogan had two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Hall also had two hits, while Jones and McKenna each knocked in two runs. 
 
Eric Fountain (1-1) started on the mound for Berry and took the loss. He allowed five runs on five hits with two walks in 1.0 inning. Four other pitchers toed the rubber for the Vikings. Jackson Collett pitched 3.0 innings and gave up two runs on two hits.
 
Lang was the lone Viking with two hits in the game. Mukono and Jacob Bridges had Berry's other two base hits.
 
Marietta hosts Berry College on Saturday (Feb. 28) for a 1:00 p.m. game.
 
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