MARIETTA, Ohio — With a spot in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament on the line and both teams needing a doubleheader sweep, Otterbein University took two games from Marietta College Sunday (May 5) evening at Don Schaly Stadium. The Cardinals won game one, 10-8, and then secured their postseason spot with an 8-1 win in game two.
Marietta finishes the 2019 season with an 18-21 overall record and 8-10 in the OAC. The careers of three Pioneers came to an end as the Etta Express says goodbye to seniors Mike Hale, Greg Peffley and Easton Berry. Student Assistant Coach Jacob Baker also graduated earlier in the afternoon.
Otterbein (21-16-1 overall, 10-8 OAC) scored nine runs in the first three innings of game one and then held on for the victory. Trailing 10-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Marietta rallied to make things interesting.
The Pioneers plated one in the fifth and five more in the sixth. The Etta Express scored one in the ninth and had the tying run at the plate when the game ended.
Gino Sabatine (3-3) started and took the loss for Marietta. He was roughed up for four runs on four hits in 1.0 inning of work. Sam Mathews worked 5.0 innings and allowed six runs on nine hits. Berry pitched an inning of perfect relief and CJ Kenworthy tossed the final 2.0 innings walking two and striking out four.
Otterbein sent its closer to the mound and Collin Hoffman (5-0) responded with 5.1 innings in a strong start. He allowed seven runs, four earned, on nine hits. Andy Caddas earned the save with 3.2 innings of work. He gave up one run on five hits in 3.2 innings.
Marietta got on the board with a solo home run from Alex Page in the first inning. Page got thing going in the sixth with a lead-off double. Drew Holderbach had an RBI single, while Eddie Poster drove in a run with a sac fly. Drew Wilkinson delivered a two-run double and Jared Weiss plated the fifth run of the inning with a base hit.
Page finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, three runs scored and an RBI. Dylan Albright had three singles, while Hale and Wilkinson each had two hits. Wilkinson doubled and drove in two runs.
While the Cardinals scored early in the first game, they did their damage in the later innings of game two. Otterbein scored seven of their eight runs in the second half of the game including five in the last three frames. Luke Barber did most of the damage smacking a pair of two-run home runs.
Marietta's lone run came in the bottom of the third. Nolan Wetherald led off with a double down the right field line and moved to third on a sac bunt from Jared Weiss. Damian Yenzi followed with a sac fly to left scoring Wetherald.
Johnny Putnam (4-3) went the distance on the mound for Otterbein scattering five hits and striking out nine Pioneer hitters.
Justin Aviles (1-4) started and took the loss for the Pioneers. He threw 5.0 innings and gave up three runs on five hits. Aviles walked two and struck out four. John Stover pitched the final 4.0 innings and allowed five runs, two earned, on four hits. He walked one and struck out four.