COLUMBUS, Ohio — No. 5 ranked Marietta College took care of business on Saturday (April 10) with a pair of nonconference run-rule victories over visiting Capital University. The Etta Express downed Capital 11-1 and 14-4 with both games stopped in the eighth inning under Ohio Athletic Conference mercy rules.

Winners of nine straight games, the Pioneers improved to 16-1 on the season. Capital falls to 2-15 overall.

Gino Sabatine (5-0) had another impressive outing on the mound for the Pioneers. The senior allowed one run on four hits in the complete game victory. He walked three and struck out seven in 8.0 innings or work.

Capital's lone run came on a solo home run by Logan White in the fifth inning.

The home run seemed to wake up the Pioneer offense. Limited to one run over the first four inning, Marietta scored five in the bottom of fifth. MC added two in the sixth, two in the seventh and then ended the game with one in the bottom of the eighth.

Marietta got on the board in the second. Singles from Logan Vietmeier, Brady Cottom and Trent Castle loaded the bases with one out. Drew Wilkinson followed with a ground ball to the second baseman. The Crusaders got Castle out at second but Vietmeier scored on the fielder's choice.

Vietmeier got things going in the fifth with a one-out single. A double from Drew Holderbach and a two-run single from Cottom chased Capital starter Tucker Craft from the game. Dalton Anker took over on the mound and was quickly called for a balk moving Cottom into scoring position.

Castle singled to left and made it to second when Capital tried to get Cottom at third. Following a strikeout, Turner Hill plated Cottom and Castle with a single through the right side of the infield.

Hill stole second and moved to third when the throw got into center field. Jared Weiss singled to right scoring Hill for a 6-1 Pioneer lead.

Marietta scored one run on an error and another on a wild pitch in the sixth inning extending the lead to 8-1. Zach Boyd and Cottom each picked up an RBI in the seventh and then Weiss drove in the final run with a sac fly in the eighth.

Hill, Boyd and Cottom each finished with three hits in the game. Cottom had three RBI, while Hill and Weiss each had two. Vietmeier and Castle each added two hits in the game.

Craft (0-4) was tagged with the loss. He allowed four runs on nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Anker worked 1.1 innings and was charged with four runs on four hits, while Brennon Newell gave up three runs on four hits in 1.2 innings.

Marietta opened the second game with six runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Pioneers added three more in the third for an early 9-0 lead.

Capital got on the board with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth. The Pioneers answered with two runs in the sixth and then ended the game with three in the eighth. Freshman Ben Kaplin delivered a two-run, walk-off double to right field.

Holderbach, Boyd and Matthew Busby each had two hits in the game for Marietta. Holderbach drive in three runs.

Nicklaus Brown (3-0) started on the mound and got the win. He threw 6.0 innings and gave up three runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Isaac Danford worked 2.0 innings and allowed one run on two hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts.

Jared Heidecker (1-4) started and took the loss for the Crusaders. He threw 2.1 innings and allowed nine runs on six hits. Heidecker walked five and struck out four. Bryant Caporale and Kyle Bowles threw in relief for the Crusaders.

Marietta travels to Columbus on Sunday (April 11) for a 12 p.m. nonconference doubleheader at Capital University.