MARIETTA, Ohio — Top-seeded Marietta College scored nine runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back as the Etta Express captured its 33rd Ohio Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament crown with a 16-6 pounding of Baldwin Wallace University Saturday (May 14) afternoon at Pioneer Park.
The No. 2 ranked Pioneers went undefeated in the tournament and heads into the NCAA Tournament with a 38-5 record on the season. The tournament championship is Marietta's second in a row. The Yellow Jackets, ranked 18th nationally, slip to 32-11 overall and must wait until Monday to see if they receive an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
"Despite the fact we gave up that first run, we answered quickly, which is important in a big game like this. I thought we had a great approach offensively today," Marietta head coach Brian Brewer said. "We'll take 24 hours to enjoy this and then figure out what's next. I'm proud of this team. It's a great group of guys and I'm just glad they're on my side."
Baldwin Wallace grabbed the lead with a run in the top of the first. Vincent Capolupo walked to lead off the game and then moved to second on a one-out walk to Luke Vonderhaar. A sac fly to right field off the bat of Drew Wilson plated Capolupo.
The BW lead evaporated quickly as Marietta sent 13 hitters to the plate in the bottom of the first scoring nine runs on nine hits. Turner Hill led off with a double down the left field line. Damian Yenzi lined a single off the pitcher's leg and Zach Boyd loaded the bases with a bunt single.
Logan Vietmeier drilled the first pitch he saw through the right side of the infield scoring Hill. Drew Holderbach drove in Yenzi on a ground ball to second. An RBI single from Brett Carson scored Boyd and chased BW starting pitcher, Aidan Bennett, from the game.
Trent Castle greeted BW's new pitcher, Scott Kirchoff, with a perfectly placed safety squeeze bunt scoring Holderbach. RBI singles from Alex Richter and Drew Wilkinson made it 6-1 and knocked Kirchoff from the game.
Matt Sabin took over on the mound and surrendered a two-run single to right off the bat of Yenzi. An RBI single from Boyd pushed the Pioneer lead to 9-1.
"Our game plan was to get out to a good start, hopefully get a big lead, and take it from there," Yenzi said. "We're always down for a big inning. I'm just glad we could do it in a big game like this."
Marietta added one run in the second and three more in the third. Castle drove in Holderbach with a double into the left field corner in the second inning. Holderbach picked up an RBI with a sac fly in the third. Carson added a run-scoring triple and Castle drove in his third run of the day with a single.
Baldwin Wallace cut into the Marietta lead with four runs in the fifth inning. Ryan Guggenheim singled and Andrew Parker doubled to start the rally. Sean Kolenich knocked in Guggenheim with a ground out. Capolupo lined a single to center driving in Parker and causing the Pioneers to make a pitching change.
Kail Hill replaced Carson on the mound. He gave up a two-run double to Vonderhaar before ending the inning with a ground out and a fly ball to Castle in centerfield.
Hill (1-0) pitched the final 4.2 innings for his first win of the year. He allowed one run on five hits and struck out two. Carson gave up five runs on five hits in 4.1 innings of work. He walked two.
"Kail has been good this last week and a half," Brewer said. "He's been throwing well but he hasn't had a lot of opportunities. It's exciting to see him come out and throw as well as he did."
The Pioneers added an insurance run in the fifth and two more in the sixth for a 16-5 lead. BW managed one run in the ninth.
Bennett (3-1) took the loss for BW. He was charged with five runs on five hits in 0.3 innings. Six other Yellow Jackets toed the rubber. Garrett Miller worked the final 2.2 innings and did not allow a run on two hits. He walked two and struck out five Pioneers.
Eight of Marietta's nine hitters had two or more hits in the game as the Pioneers had 20 hits in the game. Yenzi, Boyd and Richter each had three hits. Hill (Turner), Vietmeier, Holderbach, Carson and Castle had two hits each.
Parker went 3-for-4 for the Yellow Jackets. Capolupo and Vonderhaar had two hits apiece.
Yenzi was named the Dick Fishbaugh Most valuable Player after going 12-for-16 at the plate for the weekend. He had four doubles, two home runs and drove in nine runs. Boyd, Carson, Hill (Turner) and Wilkinson joined Yenzi on the All-OAC Tournament Team for Marietta.
Baldwin Wallace was represented by Capolupo, Guggenheim, Vonderhaar and pitcher Dawson Gabe. Mount Union's Walker Marlowe, Dwayne Sumler and Andrew Witte joined Otterbein's Luke Barber and Zach Franz to complete the all-tournament team.
The NCAA field will be announced at 12 p.m. on Monday (May 16). The Pioneers hope to be named as one of the 16 hosts for the Regional round of the tournament. Regionals are scheduled for Friday-Sunday (May 20-22).