MARIETTA, Ohio — The No. 15 ranked Marietta College Pioneers opened the home portion of their 2023 schedule with a doubleheader split with Case Western Reserve University Wednesday (Mar. 1) afternoon at Pioneer Park. The Etta Express took game one, 3-1, before dropping the second game by the same score. Both teams are 3-3 on the season.
 
Marietta got a pair of quality starts on the mound out of seniors Gino Sabatine and Trent Valentine. Sabatine worked 7.0 innings in game one and allowed one run on five hits with six strikeouts. Valentine tossed 6.0 innings in game two and gave up one run on six hits with five strikeouts. Neither got a decision.
 
Hill (2-0) got the win in game one tossing the final 2.0 innings. He allowed no runs on two hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
 
Both teams scored a run in the sixth inning. Jack Anderson led off the top of the sixth for Case Western with a solo home run to centerfield. Marietta answered in the bottom of the frame when Alex Richter reached on a single and stole second. He moved to third on a ground and scored on an RBI single from Ty Davis.
 
After a scoreless seventh inning, Case Western sent Evan Faxon to the mound to start the eighth. Starter Reece Marley had a strong outing throwing 7.0 innings and allowing just one run on four hits with six strikeouts.
 
Faxon walked Nick Bonnizzio to start the inning. After a strikeout, Bonnizzio stole second and the Spartans intentionally walked Richter. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and Bonnizzio scored on a throwing error by the catcher. Brett Carson drove in Richter with an RBI single for a 3-1 Pioneer lead.
 
Faxon (0-1) was charged with the loss. He gave up two runs, one earned, on one hit. Faxon walked two and struck out two.
 
In game two, Marietta got on the board first with a run in the fifth. Braden Shepherd led off the inning with a double down the leftfield line. Two wild pitches allowed Shepherd to come around and score the first run of the game.
 
The Spartans responded in the top of the sixth. Anderson tripled to right-center and scored on an RBI ground out from Zack Carinci.
 
Josh Pedersen (0-1) took over on the mound for Valentine to start the seventh inning. He retired Case Western in order in the seventh and then ran into trouble in the eighth. Jasiah Harris led off with a single. Tim Demetris dropped down a sac bunt but Pedersen threw the ball away at first giving the Spartans runners at first and second with no outs.
 
Harris and Demetris both moved up a base on a successful double steal. Anderson hit a ground ball to short that was misplayed allowing Harris to score the go ahead run. Nick Kumor replaced Pedersen on the mound and struck out the three batters to end the threat.
 
Case added an insurance run in the ninth. Trey Haley tripled and scored on an RBI single from Jay Smith.
 
Austin McGowan started on the mound for Case Western and pitched 4.2 innings giving up one run on three hits. Jonathan Simon (1-0) got the win with 2.1 innings of hitless relief. Tyler Horvath picked up his second save of the season with 2.0 innings of shutout work.
 
Pedersen (0-1) took the loss. He was charged with one run on one hit with one strikeout in 1.0 inning of work. Kumor pitched 2.0 innings and gave up one run on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
 
Marietta plays Franklin and Marshall College on Saturday (Mar.4) in Salem, Virginia. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.