MARIETTA, Ohio — Wilmington College swept an Ohio Athletic Conference softball doubleheader at Marietta College Saturday (May 2) afternoon knocking the Pioneers out of the upcoming OAC Tournament. The Quakers won game one, 3-2, and then took the nightcap by the score of 6-4.
Marietta finishes the season with a 21-19 overall record and 6-10 in the OAC. Wilmington is 19-18 overall and 8-8 in the OAC. The Quakers earned the No. 5 seed in next week's OAC Tournament, while the Pioneers finished seventh in the conference standings, one spot out of the playoffs.
In game one, Wilmington scored three runs in the top of the third inning and then held on for the win. The Pioneers had the tying run in scoring position when the game ended.
Marietta grabbed a 1-0 lead on a solo home from
Emilie Johnson (Lucasville, Ohio/Valley) in the second inning. Wilmington's Jobey Hattan tied the game with an RBI single to start the third inning rally. She later scored on a double from Audrey Gildea. The Quakers third run scored on a Pioneer error.
Liz White (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) reached base on a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh.
Erin Beeber (Fairfield, Ohio/Badin) pinch ran for White and scored on a double from
Katie Sweeney (Alexandria, N.H./Newfound Regional). But the Quakers got a ground out to end the game with the tying run stranded at second base.
Megan Spence (4-7) started in the circle for Wilmington and got the win. She worked 5.0 innings and allowed one run on just two hits. She walked four and struck out four. Audrey Patel earned her third save of the season throwing the final 2.0 innings. She gave up one run on two hits.
Aiyana Hancock (Marietta, Ohio/Warren Local) (6-6) got the loss. She started and pitched 4.0 innings allowing three runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Camryn Kiefer (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) tossed 3.0 shutout innings giving up one hit.
In the second game, Wilmington scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to erase a 4-3 deficit and complete the sweep. Johnson broke a 3-3 tie with her second solo home run of the afternoon in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Wilmington got a pair of runners on with one out in the top of the seventh. Hattan tied the game with an RBI single to center field and then Alaina Eldridge plated two runs with a double down the right field line. Marietta went down in order in the bottom of the seventh.
Audrey Gildea (7-5) got the win in relief. She pitched the final 4.0 innings and allowed one run on three hits. Belle Baughman started and gave up three runs on six hits in 3.0 innings pitched.
Kiefer (0-2) started and got the loss when she came back to the circle in the seventh inning. Kiefer allowed six runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings. Hancock tossed 2.1 shutout innings of relief allowing one hit.
Sweeney, Johnson, and
Jocelyn Grassman (Perrysville, Ohio/Loudonville) each had two hits in the game for Marietta.
The Pioneers say goodbye to a pair of seniors. Hancock and
Camryn Campbell (Ontario, Ohio/Lexington) finished their careers in the Navy Blue and White.
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.
