PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Senior catcher Eric White doubled off the right field wall in the top of the 12th inning driving in Chris Petrucci with the winning run as Marietta College upset No. 19-ranked Keystone College Thursday (March 16) afternoon.

With two outs, Petrucci hit a chopper to third and beat the throw for an infield single. He moved into scoring position when the throw got away at first base. White stepped to the plate and ripped the 0-1 pitch off the wall just missing a two-run homer.

Marietta improves to 4-3 on the season. Keystone slips to 4-4 overall.

A classic pitcher's duel quickly developed as Tyler Nieberding and Keystone starter Troy Terzi went toe-to-toe. Nieberding worked 7.0 innings and gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits with four strikeouts. Terzi was even more impressive throwing 9.0 innings and allowing two runs on eight hits with 14 strikeouts.

The Giants grabbed an early lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning.  Anthont Ferezza led off with a bunt single. Following an infield pop up, Brendan Long walked moving Ferezza to second.

Nieberding struck out the next batter and was one out away from getting out of the inning unscathed. Designated hitter Sebastian De La Cruz poked a single through the left side of the infield allowing Ferezza to score from second base.

Marietta looked to tie the game in the second. Mike Hale and Greg Peffley each singled. But Terzi struck out the next three batters to end the threat.

Keystone extended its lead with an unearned run in the seventh inning. De La Cruz started the inning with a double to right center. Billy Nelson dropped down a sac bunt and Marietta threw the ball away at third base allowing De La Cruz to scamper home.

The Etta Express finally got to Terzi in the eighth. Seamus Kenneally singled through the left side to start the inning. Following a pop up, Petrucci drew a base on balls and White singled up the middle loading the bases. Hale picked up an RBI when he fouled out down the right field line for a sac fly scoring Kenneally.

David Stover took over on the mound for the Pioneers in the bottom of the eighth and retired Keystone in order.

Michael Barnabei laced a one-out triple into the left field corner. Freshman Jonathan Pingree lined out to left, but the ball was deep enough to allow Barnabei to score with the tying run.

The Giants thought they had the game won in the bottom of the ninth until the base umpire called an illegal slide at second base for an inning-ending double play.

Austin Chaszar reached on an error to start the inning. De La Cruz sacrificed Chaszar into scoring position. Nelson singled up the middle moving the winning run over to third. Chris Panzarella stepped to the plate and hit a grounder to short.

Marietta tried to turn the double play but the ball ended up on the ground at second base. Keystone started to celebrate as the run scored easily. However, Nelson was called for an illegal slide at second base and the double play was enforced ending the inning with the score still tied, 2-2.

Stover worked out of trouble in the tenth and eleventh innings. Keystone left the bases loaded in the tenth and stranded two more runners in the eleventh.

After the Etta Express took the lead in the top of the 12th, the Giants refused to go quietly in the home half of the inning. Ferezza and Bray Curreri started the inning with back-to-back singles.

Long dropped down a sac bunt moving both runners into scoring position. However, Stover struck out the next batter and then induced a game-ending ground ball to Petrucci.

Stover (1-0) threw 5.0 scoreless innings for the win. He scattered five hits, walked one and struck out one.

Yeison Andujar (1-1) took the loss for Keystone. He worked 1.0 inning and gave up one run on two hits. He struck out a pair of Pioneer hitters.

Petrucci and White each went 3-for-5 for Marietta. Kenneally finished with a pair of base hits.

Marietta is back in action on Friday (March 17) when the Etta Express plays North Central College at 10:00 a.m. and Adrian College at 1:00 p.m.