PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Marietta College scored three runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to come from behind and beat La Roche College, 5-4, in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader Sunday (April 28) afternoon. The Redhawks posted a 12-0 win the first game. Marietta moves to 17-19 on the season, while La Roche is now 24-11 overall.
The Etta Express battled back from a 4-0 deficit with two runs in the seventh and then three more in the ninth inning rally. Defensive mistakes by the Redhawks proved costly for La Roche in both innings.
In the seventh, Greg Peffley worked a one-out walk and then Seamus Kenneally had an infield single giving the Pioneers runners at first and second. Nolan Wetherald dropped down a sac bunt but an error by the Redhawk first baseman allowed Peffley to come around and score.
On the error, Kenneally moved to third and Wetherald went to second. Damian Yenzi followed with a sac fly scoring Kenneally to make it 4-2. La Roche got out of the inning with a strikeout.
Trailing by two heading into the top of the ninth, Dylan Albright pinch hit for Kenneally with one out and singled to left. Eddie Poster pinch hit for Wetherald and hit the ball on the nose but La Roche second baseman Joe Professori caught the line drive for the second out.
Yenzi walked and Isaac Danford dropped down a perfect base hit bunt to load the bases with two outs. Alex Page made it a one run game with an infield single that scored Albright. Logan Vietemeier grounded back to the pitcher who misplayed the ball allowing Yenzi to score the tying run. On the play, a second error on Professori allowed Danford to score the go ahead run.
In the bottom of the ninth, Dylan Urban led off with a single off of Pioneer reliever Brenden Lacorato. CJ Kenworthy took over on the mound and got a ground ball out of Johnathan Melendez for the first out. Troy Kifer was put out on a sac bunt and then Austin Hoffman was called out on strikes to end the game.
Lacorato (2-0) got the win in relief of starter John Stover. Stover threw 7.1 innings and allowed four runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Lacorato retired two of the three batters he faced and gave up a hit to the other. Kenworthy earned his first save with 1.0 inning of perfect relief.
Joshua Kuderian started on the mound for La Roche and struck out the side in his only inning of work. Tre Thomas threw 6.0 innings and allowed two unearned runs on four hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts. Jake Seymour (2-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits. He walked three and struck out two.
Page was the lone Pioneer with two hits in the game.
In the first game, a seven-inning contest, La Roche erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the first inning en route to the 12-0 win. The RedHawks added four runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth.
Redhawk starter Tristin Tinney (2-2) tossed 6.0 shutout innings allowing just two Pioneer runs. He walked two and struck out six. Garren Telesz retired all three batters he faced in the seventh inning strikeout out one.
Nicklaus Brown (0-1) started and got the loss. Brown was tagged for seven runs, five earned, on seven hits in 1.0 inning of work. He had one strikeout. Jared Strickler threw 4.0 innings and allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits with four walks and one strikeout. Quinn Hecker gave up two hits in 1.0 inning of work.
Yenzi and Page had Marietta's two hits in the game.