DEMOREST, Ga. — The Etta Express pounded out a season high 18 hits in an 11-4 victory over Adrian College Saturday (March 12) evening to close out play in the Piedmont College Spring Classic. Earlier in the day, Marietta lost to No. 5 ranked Birmingham-Southern College, 10-4.
The Pioneers head home with a 7-5 overall record. Marietta opens the home portion of its schedule next weekend with the BSN Invitational at Don Schaly Stadium. La Roche College, Case Westerb Reserve University and Thomas More College will join the Express for the weekend.
Marietta jumped on the Bulldogs early scoring three in the first and four more in the second. Mike Hale drove in the first run with an RBI single. Shane Fetsko followed with a sac fly to make it 2-0. Michael Barnabei plated the third run of the opening frame with a single through the left side of the infield.
The Express chased Adrian's starting pitcher, Guy McComas, in the second inning. Tyler Ruhl singled and Chris Petrucci worked a one-out walk forcing the Bulldogs to go to the bullpen.
Tim McCoy greeted reliever Zach Dunn with a single up the middle loading the bases. Hale picked up two more RBI with a double to left field. Tyler Packanik knocked in two more with another double.
Jacob Baker started on the mound for Marietta and allowed Adrian to score once in the first and two more times in the third. He worked three innings and gave up three runs on four hits before turning the ball over to Kordell Antill.
Antill (1-0) retired all nine batters he faced to get the win. He struck out four in his three innings of work. David Stover tossed the final three innings for his second save of the season. Stover allowed one run on three hits.
Marietta added insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings. McCoy finished 4-for-5 with a double. Packanik was also 4-for-5 and had a pair of doubles and three RBI. Petrucci, Hale and Barnabei each had two hits in the game.
In the first game of the day, the Express got rolling early scoring three times in the first inning against No. 5 Birmingham-Southern. McCoy greeted the Panther starter, Stephen Himic, with a double to start the rally. Greg Peffley singled moving McCoy to third. A wild pitch plated McCoy and put Peffley in scoring position at second base.
Joey Begany knocked in Peffley with a double making it 2-0. Packanik followed with a single allowing Begany to score the third Pioneer run of the inning.
The Panthers got one run back in the second. Nathan Qualls reached on an error and came around to score on a double off the bat of Taylor McCracken.
Marietta continued to keep the pressure on Himic. Chandler Palyas reached base with a single in the second but was erased when McCoy hit a laser right at the BSC first baseman for a double play.
The Express loaded the bases in the third but couldn't push a run across. Another double play got Himic out of trouble. Peffley walked and Petrucci was hit by a pitch. Begany sac bunted but all hands were safe loading the bases. Packanik lofted a fly ball to right but Peffley was gunned down at the plate.
Birmingham-Southern chipped away at Marietta starter Tommy Crowl. The panthers scored one in fourth, two in the fifth and one more in the sixth to take a 5-3 lead. Crowl (0-1) threw seven innings and allowed five runs on eight hits.
Mitch McNabb took over for Crowl and was touched up for five runs on four hits as BSC added one in the eighth and four in the ninth.
Himic (3-1) got the win. He worked 7.1 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits. Wilson Jamison threw 1.2 innings of hitless relief.
Begany and Packanik had two hits each for the Pioneers. Marietta's final run of the game was a solo home run from Begany, his first career homer.