WILMINGTON, Ohio — Marietta College scored early and often in a 26-3 win at Wilmington College Monday (March 29) afternoon in Ohio Athletic Conference baseball action. The Pioneers improve to 10-1 on the season and 10-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Wilmington falls to 1-10 overall and 0-7 in the OAC.
The Etta Express scored runs in each of the first five innings to build a 17-0 lead. Marietta finished with 22 hits in the game and a season-high 26 runs. 14 different Pioneers had a base hit in the game.
Marietta plated three runs in the top of the first inning when the first four batters of the game had hits. Jared Weiss led off with a single to right field. Turner Hill doubled to left center and Damian Yenzi followed with a two-run double in the same gap. Zach Boyd singled to right moving Yenzi to third. Yenzi scored on a sac fly off the bat of Logan Vietmeier.
Weiss and Hill got things rolling again in the second when they both singled and a stole a base. Yenzi picked up two more RBI with a single to left scoring both Weiss and Hill. Two Quaker errors led to three more Pioneer runs in the third inning.
After adding one run in the fourth, the Etta Express erupted for eight more in the fifth inning. Yenzi drove in two more runs with two sac flies in the frame as the Pioneers sent 13 batters to the plate. Hill, Brady Cottom, Trent Castle and Matthew Busby all drove in runs during the rally.
Wilmington got on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh off of Pioneer reliever John Stover. Stover (3-1) got the win after taking over for starter Sam Mathews in the fifth inning. He allowed two runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Mathews worked 4.0 shutout innings and gave up two hits while striking out two. Isaac Danford allowed one unearned run on one hit and struck out three in an inning of relief, while Trent Valentine allowed one hit and struck out one in the ninth inning.
Marietta cleared its bench in the later innings but that didn't stop the Pioneer offense. Marietta added three runs in the eighth and six more in the ninth. Drew Holderbach provided the offense in the eighth with a three-run home run to left field.
Drew Wilkinson plated a pair of runs in the ninth with a double. Rodreco Rachel, Will Keefe and Seamus Kenneally also knocked in runs in the final inning.
Hill finished the day 4-for-5 with two doubles, two walks, five runs scored and two RBI. Yenzi drove in six runs and went 2-for-3 with a double. Weiss, Holderbach, Busby and Wilkinson all had two hits in the game for Marietta.
Jesse Reliford (1-2) started on the mound for Wilmington and took the loss. He surrendered five runs on eight hits and struck out one in 2.0 innings. Five other Quakers pitched in relief.
Marietta will host John Carroll University on Friday (April 2) for an OAC doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.