MARIETTA, Ohio — No. 12 ranked Marietta College swept its final Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader of the season from Capital University Thursday (May 4) evening at Pioneer Park. The Etta Express cruised to a 15-4 game one win in seven innings and then took game two by the score of 9-4.
 
Marietta College improves to 30-9 overall and finishes with a 14-4 OAC record. Capital ends its season with a 6-30 overall record and 0-18 mark in conference games.
 
Alex Richter had hits in each of the first three innings of game as the Pioneers jumped out to an early 14-0 lead. Nick Bonnizzio led off the first with a double and Richter followed with a towering home run to right field. The Pioneers went on to score runs in the first inning.
 
Richter led off the second inning with a single to right. Brett Carson walked. Following a strikeout, Trent Valentine was hit by a pitch loading the bases. A sac fly from Cole Rieman scored Richter and an RBI single from Ben Kaplin plated Carson extending the Pioneer lead to 8-0.
 
Richter had an RBI double to start another six-run Marietta rally in the third. Rieman drove in two runs with a single to left center. Austin Amburgey plated a run with a sac fly and Cole Yeager added an RBI single.
 
Marietta's final run came in the fourth inning. Ty davis tripled and scored on a single from Valentine.
 
Valentine (6-0) started on the mound and carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He allowed three runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work. Dawson Pierce gave up one run on two hits in 1.0 inning.
 
Noah Bromberg (1-6) started and took the loss for the Comets. He was charged with 11 runs, eight earned, on seven hits. Three other pitchers toed the rubber for Capital.
 
Richter finished 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and three RBI. Bonnizzio, Davis, and Valentine had two hits each.
 
Game two was a pitcher's duel through the first five innings. Comet starter Kyle Bowles allowed just one run, while Pioneer starter Kail Hill didn't allow a hit through seven innings.
 
Marietta plated one run in the second inning. Amburgey reached on a two-out double to the wall in left center. Yeager followed with a double to left scoring Amburgey with the first run of the game.
 
The game remained 1-0muntil the bottom of the sixth inning when the Pioneers truck for five runs. Bonnizzio walked and Carson singled. Davis dropped down a bunt and beat the throw to first for a single. The throw got away allowing Bonnizzio to score. Valentine was intentionally walked loading the bases.
 
Kaplin's sac fly scored Carson and a walk to Amburgey loaded the bases again. Yeager reached on a fielder's choice. Amburgey was put out at second while Davis scored. Zach Marzetz singled to right scoring Valentine. Yeager came around to score when the Comet outfielder misplayed the ball.
 
The Pioneers added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth for a 9-0 lead. Capital finally got on the board in the ninth with four runs on four hits.
 
Hill (9-2) didn't allow a hit in his 7.0 innings of work. He walked three and struck out four for his ninth won of the season. Forrest Havanis pitched 1.0 shutout inning. Noah Perkins allowed four runs on one-third of an inning, while Gabe Torres gave up one hit in two-thirds of an inning.
 
Bowles (0-6) gave up six runs on eight hits in 6.0 innings. Casey Wilkins, Spencer Knight, Trevor Woodyard and Brennon Newell all threw in relief for the Comets.
 
Bonnizzio and Carson each had two hits in the game.
 
Marietta closes out the regular season on Sunday (May 7) with a single, nonconference game at Otterbein. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.