MARIETTA, Ohio — Brett Carson launched a two-run, opposite field walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth inning of game two giving No. 14 ranked Marietta College a doubleheader sweep of Heidelberg University Saturday (April 29) afternoon at Pioneer Park. Marietta posted an 11-5 win in game one and then took the night cap, 9-7 in 10 innings.
The Etta Express improves to 28-9 on the season and 12-4 in the OAC. Heidelberg falls to 16-21 overall and 5-11 in the OAC. The Pioneers are currently tied for second place in the OAC standings with Ohio Northern; two games behind league-leader Baldwin Wallace. Marietta has clinched a spot in the OAC Tournament.
Carson's game-winning home run was a measure of revenge for the Pioneer senior. Carson took over on the mound to start the top of the eighth inning with Marietta leading 7-4. The southpaw gave up a pair of home runs in the eighth allowing Heidelberg to tie the game, 7-7.
Nick Bonnizzio led off the bottom of the tenth for the Etta Express and reached on an infield single to short. Carson jumped on the first pitch he saw and deposited the walk-off home run over the left field wall.
An RBI single from Cooper Fiehrer got the Pioneers on the board in the second inning. Marietta took advantage of a Heidelberg error to score an unearned run in the third. The Pioneers added two more runs in the sixth scoring one on a wild pitch and another on an RBI single from Carson, his 250th career base hit, making it 4-3 in favor of Marietta.
After allowing the Student Princes to tie the game, 4-4, in the top of the seventh, the Pioneers struck for three runs in the bottom of the inning. Aided by a Berg error, Trent Valentine scored an unearned run to start the rally. Austin Amburgey dropped an RBi single into left center and the final run scored on an infield doubleplay.
Marietta's 7-4 lead was short-lived as Heidelberg got a solo home run from Cort Kramer and a two-run blast from Braeden Limke to tie the game and set up Carson's tenth inning heroics.
Forrest Havanis (1-0) got the win pitching 2.0 shutout innings. He allowed one hit and struck out one. Zach Marzetz started and threw 1.2 innings giving up two runs on three hits. Gino Sabatine worked 4.1 strong innings of middle relief allowing one run on four hits. Josh Pedersen gave up one run in 1.0 inning and Carson was tagged for three runs in 1.0 inning.
Corey Brafford (0-3) took the loss allowing two runs on three hits in 1.0 inning of work. Corbin Caplan started and threw 5.1 innings allowing four runs, two earned, on five hits. Ty Kirk and Zane Mirgon threw in relief before Brafford took over.
Bonnizzio, Carson, Fiehrer, and Cole Rieman each had two hits in the game. Carson drove in three runs.
Marietta scored six runs in the first three innings of game one and never trailed in the 11-5 victory.
Valentine drove in the first run with an RBI double in the first inning. Marzetz had an RBI double and Carson plated a run with a single to center field in a three-run second inning. The third run scored on a wild pitch. Amburgey crushed a two-run home run in the third inning for a 6-0 lead.
The Pioneers added two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and two ore in the seventh extending the lead to 11-5.
Valentine (5-0) started and got the win. He threw 6.0 innings and gave up three runs on five hits with six strikeouts. Jacob Rocky allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning before turning the ball over to Kail Hill. Hill notched his fourth save of the season pitching 2.2 innings of shutout relief. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out four.
Carson, Valentine, Amburgey, and Cole Yeager each had two hits for the Pioneers.
Marietta closes out the OAC regular season schedule on Thursday (May 4) when Capital University visits Pioneer Park for a 4:00 p.m. doubleheader.