MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College split a key in region doubleheader with La Roche College Wednesday (March 20) afternoon at Don Schaly Stadium. The Redhawks took game one, 15-9, while the Etta Express came out on top in game two, 7-4.
"The difference in the two games was we didn't execute our pitching plan in game one," said Pioneer head coach Brian Brewer. "We allowed them to get awful comfortable in the batters box. In the second game I thought we did a much better job of taking ownership of the inside third against a physical team that swings it aggressively."
The Pioneers move to 5-8 on the season. La Roche is now 7-5 overall.
Game one was a back and forth battle. The score was tied, 9-9, through six innings. But La Roche outscored the Pioneers 6-0 over the final three frames for the victory.
Marietta plated six runs in the bottom of the second to take a 6-2 lead. Drew Holderbach and Jonathan Pingree each had two-run triples in the rally. Damian Yenzi added an RBI single.
Yenzi tripled I the fourth inning and later scored on a ground ball off the bat of Mike Hale. Marietta added unearned runs in the fifth and sixth to knot the game, 9-9. La Roche responded with two in the seventh, three more in the eight and a solo home run from Joe Professori in the ninth.
Alek Tesla (2-0) got the win for the Redhawks with 5.0 innings of relief. He gave up three runs, one earned, on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Travis Holman started and went 2.0 innings allowing six runs, five earned, on five hits. He walked two and struck out three. Two other Redhawks pitched 1.0 inning each.
Dalton Wiggins started for Marietta and gave up two runs on three hits in 2.0 innings. Isaac Danford (0-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up two runs on two hits in 2.0 innings of relief.
Yenzi, Hale, Holderbach and Brady Cottom each had two hits in the game for Marietta. Holderbach had a double and a triple and drove in two runs. Yenzi had a triple and two runs scored, while Pingree knocked in two runs with a triple.
In the night cap, Marietta plated four runs in the third inning and led the rest of the way to earn the split. Yenzi collected three hits in the game, while Trent Castle and Seamus Kenneally had two hits apiece. Castle drove in three runs and Holderbach notched a double and two RBI. Hale had a double and two runs scored.
"In game two I thought we were a little better offensively," said Brewer. " We weren't bad in game one but I thought we were a little more aggressive in the batters box in game two."
John Stover (2-1) got the win with 4.0 strong innings of relief. He allowed one unearned run on four hits and struck out two. Gino Sabatine started and gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits. Sam Mathews got his second save of the season working 3.0 innings and allowing one run on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
Dustin Lander (1-1) started and took the loss for La Roche. He worked 3.0 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits. Garren Telesz, Chris Hanlon and Jake Seymour all threw in relief.
Nolan Wetherald led off the Pioneer third with an infield single to short. Yenzi singled to left and Zack Ward loaded the bases with a bunt single. Following a pop up, Hale walked driving in Wetherald. Castle followed with a single to right scoring Yenzi and Ward. Kenneally plated the final run of the frame with a single through the left side of the infield scoring Hale.
Holderbach smacked a two-run double in the fifth making it 6-3. Castle accounted for Marietta's final run with an RBI single in the sixth.
Marietta opens Ohio Athletic Conference play on Saturday (March 23) at Baldwin Wallace. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.