MARIETTA, Ohio — Trent Valentine lined a two-out single to center field driving in Damian Yenzi with the winning run in the bottom of the tenth inning of game two giving Marietta College a doubleheader sweep of Otterbein University Tuesday (May 4) evening.
The Etta Express won the first game by the score of 8-3 and then completed the sweep with a 5-4 win in game two. Marietta, ranked No. 6 nationally, improves to 23-2 overall and remains in first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference standings with a 21-2 league record. Otterbein falls to 10-14 overall and 7-13 in the OAC.
Marietta took advantage of a pair of two-run home runs to build a 5-0 lead in the first game of the day. Brady Cottom launched a towering home run down the left field line in the third inning driving in Dylan Albright, who reached on a single to start the inning.
Yenzi led off the fourth with a single and designated hitter Alex Page followed with a bomb to straight away centerfield that easily cleared the 12-foot wall. The Pioneers added another run in the inning when Zach Boyd singled, moved to second on a balk and went to third on a wild pitch. He scored on a ground out off the bat of Albright.
The Cardinals finally got to Pioneer starting pitcher Gino Sabatine in the fifth. Adam Stotler led off with a triple and then scored when Brayden Carter grounded out. Otterbein added two more runs in the sixth cutting the Marietta lead to 5-3.
Sabatine (6-0) threw 5.2 innings for the win. He allowed three runs on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Sam Mathews retired all 10 batters he faced to record his fifth save of the year. He struck out four in 3.1 innings of work.
Marietta added two insurance runs in the seventh. Yenzi plated one with a sac fly and Page drove in the second with an RBI single. The Pioneers scored one more in the eighth on a wild pitch.
Collin Hoffman (0-4) started and took the loss for Otterbein. He threw 6.0 innings and was charged with five runs on eight hits. Hoffman walked two and struck out six. Nicky Zorne and Travis Burson pitched in relief for the Cardinals.
Cottom led the Pioneer offense going 3-for-3 with the home run and two runs batted in. Page finished 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
Otterbein grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the second game. The Cardinals plated two runs on three base hits in the top of the first inning off Pioneer starter Dalton Wiggins.
Marietta answered with one in the bottom of the first and then took a 3-2 lead with two in the second inning. Turner Hill doubled in the bottom of the first and came around to score on a double from Drew Holderbach. Jared Weiss and Yenzi each had an RBI single in the second inning.
An uncharacteristic fielding error by the Pioneers led to a pair of unearned runs for Otterbein in the fourth inning. With two outs, Gino Pierro lined a ball to the second baseman and reached base when the ball glanced off Weiss's glove. Killian Brewer followed with a two-run home run to right center giving Otterbein a 4-3 lead.
Griffin Malick (2-0) took over on the mound for Wiggins in the fifth. Malick worked 5.2 shutout innings for the win. He gave up three hits, walked two and struck out five. Wiggins allowed four runs, two earned, on seven hits in 4.1 innings of work.
Marietta tied the game in the home half of the fifth when Holderbach lofted a sac fly to centerfield allowing Yenzi to tag and score. Yenzi led off the frame with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch.
Malick and Otterbein reliever, Nick Meyer, kept the game tied over the next four innings. Meyer (1-2) took the loss after allowing the winning run in the tenth. He pitched 5.0 innings and allowed one run on two hits. Ethan Doty started and worked 4.2 innings giving up four runs on seven hits.
Yenzi lined a one-out single to left to start the Pioneer rally in the tenth inning. After a strikeout, Yenzi stole second. The Cardinals intentionally walked Holderbach to face Valentine, who entered the game in the fifth inning as a pinch runner and then moved to left field. Valentine lined a 1-2 pitch into centerfield for the walk-off base hit.
Yenzi went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Hill had a double and a single, while Holderbach and Logan Vietmeier each had a double for the Pioneers.
Marietta travels to Westerville on Wednesday (May 5) for a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Otterbein.