MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Junior Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance) hit a 2-2 pitch over the left center fence to give #12 Marietta College a lead in its first at-bat and the Pioneers never trailed the rest of the way in defeating host Rhodes College 4-1 Saturday (Feb. 26) night. [Box Score]

Hours after senior right-hander Mark Williams (Fayetteville/Perry) carried the Etta Express to a 5-0 season-opening win over Maryville College [Game 1 Recap], junior starter Austin Blaski (Pandora/Gilboa), the 2010 Kent Tekulve Ohio Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, threw five and one-third scoreless innings to help the Etta Express quickly improve to 2-0. Blaski (1-0) allowed just five hits and struck out seven in his season debut.

Sophomore Luke Langdon (Troy/Troy) helped bridge the gap between starter Blaski and junior closer Kyle Lindquist (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) by registering the final two outs of the sixth inning. Lindquist then pitched the final three frames, scattering one run on three hits and striking out four to earn his first save of the season.

Junior Kirby Becker (South Euclid/St. Ignatius) continued his hot start by adding three more hits in five at-bats, while five other Pioneers, including Saunders, had a hit for a total of eight in the victory.

Rhodes (3-6) got two hits of its eight hits from Stewart Martens.

Austin Carden took the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and striking out seven in seven innings.

Saunder's home run gave Marietta the 1-0 lead after one. Sophomore Jordan Grilliot (Brookville/Northmont) helped extend the advantage to 2-0 an inning later when he reached on an error, moved to second on a hit-by-pitch, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an errant throw by the catcher.

The Pioneers added a third run in the eighth when Becker doubled to left field and later scored on a Grilliot sacrifice fly.

The Lynx got on the board with a run in the bottom of the eighth by stringing together back-to-back singles after a two-out walk.

Marietta, however, answered with its final run in the top of the ninth. Saunders reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and raced home on a Becker single to right.

The Pioneers will look to finish its season-opening trip to Memphis with three straight wins when they take on Emory (Ga.) University 11:30 a.m. Sunday on the campus of Rhodes College. Live statistics can be tracked at http://www.sidearmstats.com/rhodes/baseball/index.htm. WMOA-AM 1490 will also broadcast the single, nine-inning game live locally and online at http://wmoa1490.com.