MARIETTA, Ohio — Great pitching, solid defense and timely hitting is almost impossible to beat.

That's what visiting John Carroll University ran into Monday (May 2) evening at Don Schaly Stadium. Marietta College swept the Blue Streaks by the scores of 7-1 and 4-1 to keep its one game lead in the Ohio Athletic Conference standings.

The Pioneers improved to 24-13 overall and 13-3 in the OAC. Otterbein took two games from Heidelberg today to keep the heat on Marietta with a 12-4 OAC record.

Staff ace Christian Herstine blanked the Blue Streaks for eight innings allowing just three singles. John Carroll finally got on the board in the ninth when David Crowley led off with a solo home run.

Herstine (8-2) won his league-leading eighth game as he tossed his second complete game of the season. He allowed one run on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts. The senior also leads the OAC with 88 strikeouts on the season.

Marietta took the early lead with a run in the bottom of the first. Greg Peffley reached on a one out double to left center. A pair of wild pitches allowed him to score the game's first run.

JCU ace Aaron Lapaglia (4-3) matched Herstine with goose eggs in the next three innings. LaPaglia would take the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits in seven innings of work. Mark Pisanello gave up two runs on three hits in an inning of relief.

The Etta Express added two runs in the fifth. Brandon Papp got the ball rolling with a base hit bunt and advanced to second on a sac bunt. A wild pitch and a balk plated Papp.

Lapaglia hit Petrucci with a pitch and he quickly stole second and moved to third on an errant throw by the JCU catcher. Peffley followed with a single to left knocking in Petrucci for a 3-0 Pioneers lead.

Peffley made it 5-0 in the seventh with a towering two-run shot over the wall in the right center field. Papp started the innings with an infield single. Chandler Palyas sacrificed him to second. Following a fly out by Petrucci, Peffley launched his second homer of the season.

MC added two more insurance runs in the eighth pushing the lead to 7-0. Mike Hale doubled, moved to third on a ground out by Eric White and scored on a wild pitch. Austin Harvey then singled and was replaced by pinch runner Michael Barnabei. Two straight wild pitches moved Barnabei to third. Connor Golden then singled up the middle driving in Barnabei.

Peffley finished 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two runs scored and three RBi. Hale, Harvey and Papp each had two hits in the game.

In the nitecap, Tommy Crowl and David Stover combined to throw another five-hitter for the Express. Crowl (4-3) allowed one run on five hits and struck out six in 6 2/3 innings for the win, while Stover retired all seven batters he faced for his fourth save of the season.

John Carroll scored its lone run in the top of the first. Patrick Keohane worked a one-out walk and moved to third on a single to right off the bat of Crowley. Tyler Gentile followed with a sac fly scoring Keohane.

Control problems haunted JCU starter Brandon Maddern (6-5). The lefty limited Marietta to five hits in his six innings of work, but he issued five free passes to go along with four strikeouts.

Marietta got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Maddern walked three Pioneers including one with the bases loaded. Hale led off with a walk. A single from Tyler Packanik and a walk to White loaded the bases. Papp flew out to shallow center for the first out. Maddern then walked Tim McCoy on four straight pitches forcing in Hale. Doug Bennett plated MC's second run with a sac fly that scored Packanik.

Packanik made it 3-1 in the seventh with a sac fly that scored Petrucci. A JCU error gave Marietta an unearned run in the eighth.

Petrucci led the Pioneers with three hits in the game.

The Pioneers will try to wrap up the OAC Regular Season Championship on Saturday (May 7) when they travel to Ohio Northern University for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.