MARIETTA, Ohio — No. 10 ranked Marietta College maintained its position atop the Ohio Athletic Conference baseball standings with a pair of conference wins over John Carroll University Friday (April 2) afternoon. The Etta Express took game one, 6-2, and the posted a 7-1 win in the night cap.

The Pioneers improve to 12-1 overall and 12-1 in the OAC. John Carroll falls to 8-5 on the season and 5-4 in conference games.

Marietta got on the board first when Trent Valentine and Drew Holderbach were issued back-to-back walks with one out in the second inning. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third and a sac fly from Brady Cottom scored Valentine.

John Carroll tied the game with a run in the third. A single from Bennett Cavaretta and a double from Sam Heaton put runners at second and third for Matthew Springer. Springer plated Cavaretta with a sac fly to left.

The Pioneers took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the fourth. Damian yenzi led off with a walk and advanced to second on a balk. Zach Boyd singled through the right side of the infield moving Yenzi to third. A second balk call scored Yenzi and moved Boyd to second base.

Drew Holderbach dropped down a base hit bunt sending Boyd to third. A wild pitch allowed Boyd to score giving MC a 3-1 lead.

Back-to-back triples from Turner Hill and Yenzi in the fifth inning extended the lead to 4-1.

After the Blue Streaks got one run back in the top of the seventh, Marietta put the game away with two in the bottom of the frame. Hill and Yenzi reached on one-out singles and moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. The third JCU balk of the game scored Hill and moved Yenzi to third. Boyd followed with a single driving in Yenzi for a 6-2 lead.

Gino Sabatine (4-0) started and got the wi after throwing 6.1 innings. He gave up two runs on five hits with six strikeouts. Sam Mathews picked up his second save of the season with 2.2 innings of shutout relief. He allowed two hits and struck out four.

Mitchell Midea (1-2) started and took the loss for John Carroll. Midea allowed four runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Three other Blue Streaks pitched in relief.

Hill, Yenzi and Boyd each had two hits in the game for the Pioneers.

In game two, Marietta broke the scoreless tie with a run in the bottom of the fourth. The Pioneers loaded the bases with one out when Yenzi and Trent Valentine walked and Holderbach reached on a base hit bunt.

The Blue Streaks went to the bullpen pulling starter Matthew Aukerman. Reliever Nicholas Michel struck out the first batter he faced but then issued a walk to Trent Castle forcing in Yenzi with the first run of the game.

John Carroll answered with their lone run in the top of the fifth. Springer led off with a triple to centerfield. Following an out of a foul pop up, Jared Orwell plated Springer with a single to right field.

The Etta Express grabbed the lead with two runs in the sixth and then added four insurance runs in the seventh.

Castle had an RBI double and Drew Wilkinson an RBI triple accounting for the two runs in the sixth. Will Keefe drove in two runs with a double into the left field corner in the seventh. Holderbach launched a two-run home run to left, his third of the season.

Nicklaus Brown started and threw 5.1 innings in the no-decision. Brown allowed one run on five hits in 5.1 innings. He walked one and struck out eight. Isaac Danford (1-0) picked up the win. Danford threw 3.2 innings and allowed one hit with six strikeouts.

Four Blue Streaks toed the rubber. Nicholas Michel (0-2) took the loss in relief. Michel worked 2.1 innings and gave up two runs on three hits.

Hill and Holderbach each had two hits in the game for Marietta.

Marietta hosts John Carroll again on Saturday (April 3). The OAC doubleheader starts at 1:00 p.m.