MARIETTA, Ohio – The Marietta College baseball team used a four-run seventh inning to defeat the University of Rochester 9-6 on Thursday (May 27) in its opening game of the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament.
"Rochester is pretty good, I think the hit batsmen came back to hurt them. They jumped on us early but our guys did a really nice job responding and it was a really good quality win for us to get the tournament started," said Head Coach Brian Brewer. "We had no panic in the first inning, Dalton came in and did an amazing job for us. We have to prepare for games like this in the postseason and Dalton and the team were ready to respond."
Rochester wasted no time getting the offense rolling as the first four batters in the order recorded a hit. The Yellowjackets capitalized on the early offense and tacked on five runs in the top of the first inning.
Marietta answered in the bottom of the first inning when Turner Hill led off the inning with a double down the left field line, and Damian Yenzi and Drew Holderbach each were hit by a pitch to load the bases. The next batter up, Logan Vietmeier, plated both Hill and Yenzi when he reached on a fielder's choice, and advanced to second on an error. "I thought for sure we needed an answer, I knew I needed to get the inning started, and I feel like that propelled us to get back into the game," said Hill.
Zach Boyd made the score 5-3 with a single past a diving first baseman to score Vietmeier. Brady Cottom kept the rally going with a double down the left field line to plate Boyd, and the score was 5-4 after the first inning.
After a scoreless top of the second, the Pioneers tied the game at five runs apiece in the bottom of the frame when a single by Holderbach allowed Hill, who singled to lead off the inning, to score.
Rochester took a 6-5 lead in the top of the fourth when Steve Pickering drove in Aaron Whitley on a sacrifice fly to left.
The teams remained 6-5 through the top of the seventh inning. Marietta took a 9-6 lead behind four runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Pioneers loaded the bases when Drew Wilkinson was hit a by a pitch, Hill singled, and Yenzi was hit by a pitch.
Holderbach drew a bases-loaded walk scoring Wilkinson, Vietmeier was hit by a pitch to plate Hill, and Trent Valentine delivered a big blow, with a double down the left field line to score Yenzi and Holderbach.
Sam Matthews closed the door with a perfect eighth and ninth inning. Matthews did not allow a hit, he did not walk a batter, and struck out one to notch his seventh save of the season.
The Pioneers pitching was led by Dalton Wiggins. Wiggins threw six and a third innings of strong relief. He got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the first. Wiggins allowed one run on four hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out four improving to 5-0 this spring.
"If someone gets in trouble early, I have been the guy all year to come in. I felt really good, I prepared well, I knew I needed to come in and be aggressive, and execute my pitches," said Wiggins.
Gino Sabatine started on the mound for the Pioneers and was tagged for five runs on six hits in two thirds of an inning. He struck out one Rochester batter.
Jason Corbert got the loss in relief for the Yellowjackets. Corbert allowed two runs on a pair of hits in an inning and a third. He walked one and beaned one. Jon Turk started and worked one inning giving up five runs on six hits with a walk and three hit batsmen.
Marietta will return to the field Friday (May 28) with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. against the winner of N.C. Wesleyan and St. John Fisher.