ALLIANCE, Ohio – Freshman Jason Byers tossed a complete-game shutout allowing the No. 3 ranked Marietta College baseball team to salvage a split at the University of Mount Union Thursday (April 4).
The Purple Raiders won the first game 13-2 and the Pioneers won the nightcap 6-0. Marietta is now 13-5 overall and 3-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, while Mount Union is 10-6 on the season and 2-2 in the OAC.
Mount Union took a 4-0 lead in the first game off of senior starter Mike Mulvey. The Pioneers cut the lead in half with two runs in the fifth.
Third baseman Bryan Gregorich led off with a single and would score on an RBI ground out by Jordan Grilliot. The Pioneers' other run scored on a wild pitch.
Mulvey (4-1), who took the first loss of his career, threw 5.0 innings and gave up four runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out four.
Junior Zach Carlino (4-1) got the win against Marietta for the second straight year. Carlino tossed 6.0 innings and allowed two runs on eight hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Matt Murzynski pitched the seventh for Mount.
Marietta's momentum was short-lived as the Purple Raiders exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away. Mount sent 13 hitters to the plate and collected seven base hits in the inning.
Sophomore Stephen Bascom was roughed up for six runs on four hits and a pair of walks in one-third of an inning. Classmate Anthony Knittel was charged with three runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning.
The two teams combined for 25 hits in the game, only one of which went for extra bases.
Grilliot, Alex Toth, Mitch Geers and Christian Demko each had two hits in the game for the Pioneers.
Mitchell Lake, a freshman designated hitter, went 4-for-4 to lead the Purple Raiders. Catcher C.J. Stotler was 2-for-4 with a double.
Byers (2-1) was flawless on the mound in game two. The freshman scattered five hits and struck out 11 Raiders earning his second career win and lowering his earned run average to 2.20. He did not walk a batter.
Mount Union's Sam Clarke matched Byers' shutout performance through the first four innings. Marietta finally got on the board in the fifth when Gregorich singled and moved to third on a Purple Raider error. He scored on an RBI ground out from Demko.
Geers was hit by a pitch to lead off the seventh. Gregorich followed with a single up the middle. A balk moved both runners into scoring position.
Demko picked up another RBI on a ground out that scored Geers and moved Gregorich to third. Freshman Tyler Packanik drove in Gregorich with a single up the middle.
Grilliot ripped a single to left moving Packanik around to third. On the play, Grilliot started for second base and then retreated to first drawing the throw from the Mount Union left fielder and allowing Packanik to score.
Trailing 4-0, Mount Union went to the bullpen. Clarke (0-1) was tagged with the loss after throwing 6.1 innings. He was charged with five runs on seven hits. Clarke struck out six and didn't walk a batter.
Tom Bekelesky took over on the mound for the Raiders. Grilliot quickly stole second and advanced to third on a ground out. He would score on a wild pitch giving the Pioneers a 5-0 lead.
Josh Ungerbuehler singled to start the Pioneer eighth inning. He stole second base and then advanced to third on a groundout from Toth. Ungerbuehler scored Marietta's sixth run of the game on a wild pitch.
Gregorich finished the game 3-for-4, while Grilliot went 3-for-5.
Marietta returns home to host Capital University Saturday (April 6) in a 1:00 p.m. OAC 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 Twitter.