COLUMBUS, Ohio — Marietta College extended its winning streak to four games with a sweep at Capital University Wednesday (April 19) afternoon in Ohio Athletic Conference baseball action. The Etta Express blanked the Crusaders, 4-0, in game one and then came from behind to win the second game, 12-9.

Marietta improves to 14-11 overall and remains in second place in the OAC with a 9-3 conference record. Capital falls to 15-16 on the season and 3-9 in the OAC.

Senior Tyler Nieberding (2-2) had another quality start dealing 8.0 shutout innings before turning the ball over to closer David Stover in the ninth. Nieberding allowed four hits, walked one and struck out two. Stover gave up one hit and struck out one.

Defensive miscues proved costly to the Crusaders as all four Pioneer runs in the game were unearned. Marietta scored three runs in the third and added another in the fourth inning.

Seamus Kenneally reached on a one-out walk in the top of the third. Chris Petrucci singled through the left side of the infield giving Marietta runners at first and second with one out. Greg Peffley hit a ground ball to short that could have been an inning-ending double play, but the Crusader infielder misplayed the ball loading the bases.

Kenneally scored the first run of the game when Eric White hit a ground ball to the second baseman. Petrucci went to third and Peffley was put out at second base.

Pioneer skipper Brian Brewer turned up the pressure on Capital calling for a double steal. White as safe at second and Petrucci was safe at the plate with MC's second run.  Mike Hale followed with an RBI single to left driving in White.

Another error by the Crusader shortstop in the fourth inning allowed Connor Golden to score. Golden singled to start the inning and moved to second a base hit from Shane Fetsko. Bobby Newbury grounded to second but the relay throw to first on the back end of the double play was wild allowing Golden to scamper home making it 4-0.

Brendon Borkey (3-4) started and took the loss for the Crusaders. He threw 7.0 innings and allowed four unearned runs on four hits. He walked three and struck out seven. Lunden Damuth worked the final 2,0 innings and allowed one hit and two walks. He struck out one.

Golden finished 2-for-4 for the Pioneers.

Both teams struggled on defense in the second game committing four errors apiece. After Hale staked Marietta to a 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the first, the Crusaders erupted four six runs in the bottom of the second inning.

Two Pioneers errors contributed to five of CU's six runs being unearned. Capital banged out five hits in the frame and chased Pioneer starter Scott Oberhelman from the game.

Capital's defense returned the favor in the fifth inning. Marietta sent nine batters to the plate in the inning scoring five runs, three of which were unearned. Peffley, Golden and Fetsko each drove in a run in the rally as the Express tied the game, 6-6.

CU wasted no time regaining the lead in the home half of the fifth plating a pair of runs.

Aided by two more Capital errors, Marietta plated four runs in the seventh inning for a 10-8 lead. Hale drove in Peffley, who reached on a double, with an RBI single. A sac fly from Fetsko scored Hale and then two throwing errors from Capital gave MC two more runs.

Capital scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, but Marietta put the game away with two in the ninth.

Kordell Antill (3-1) picked up the win in relief of Oberhelman. Antill worked 4.2 innings and gave up three runs, one earned, on three hits. He walked two and struck out three. Stover notched his third save of the season with 2.2 innings of shutout relief. He allowed three hits and struck out one. Oberhelman was charged with six runs, one earned, on five hits in 1.2 innings.

Alex Mukensturm started and threw 4.2 innings for the Crusaders. He gave up six runs, three earned, on seven hits. Shane Wellman (0-5) took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits in 1.2 innings of work.

Hale led the Pioneer offense going 3-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored and two RBI. Peffley and White each had two hits, while Fetsko and Michael Barnabei each drive in two runs.

Marietta plays a single nine-inning nonconference game at No. 7 ranked Wooster Thursday (April 20) at 4:00 p.m.