MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Senior Mark Williams (Fayetteville/Perry) struck out nine and threw eight scoreless innings to help the #12 Marietta College baseball team get off to a winning start with a 5-0 victory over Maryville (Tenn.) College Saturday (Feb. 26) afternoon on the campus of Rhodes College.

Williams scattered just three hits and two walks over his time on the mound to improve to 1-0 on the spring. Junior Logan Lewis (Nashport/Tri-Valley) allowed an additional hit in the ninth but preserved the shutout.

Scott Roselli (1-1) suffered the loss for the Scots (7-4) after being tagged for three runs (two earned) on seven hits in four and two-thirds innings. He walked two and struck out four.  

Marietta's offense struck in its first at-bat when senior center fielder John Snyder (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) delivered a two-out RBI single to center, which plated junior second baseman Kirby Becker (South Euclid/St. Ignatius) with the first run of the season. Becker reached earlier in the inning with the Pioneers' first hit of the spring.

The Etta Express added to its advantage with a two-run third. Back-to-back one-out singles by junior shortstop Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance) and Becker were followed by a double steal to put runners on second and third. Senior designated hitter Britt Meador (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, while Snyder picked up his second RBI with another single.

Senior first baseman Casey Levens (Dayton/Centerville) delivered a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the seventh to give Marietta a 5-0 lead. Becker, who was hit by a pitch, and Meador, who singled, both scored on the play.

Marietta had eight of nine starters collect at least one hit in the 11-hit attack and its defense played an errorless game.

Becker finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored, while Snyder and Levens both had two hits and two RBI. Three different Scots had a hit in the loss, including Myles Cordell, who had a double.

Marietta is back in action at 8 p.m. when it takes on host Rhodes College (3-5) in a single, nine-inning game at Christian Brothers High School. Live stats will be available at http://www.sidearmstats.com/rhodes/baseball/index.htm. Fans can listen to a tape-delayed broadcast of the game following the Ohio Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Championship on WMOA-AM 1490.