GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Marietta College baseball team lost to No. 2 ranked Salisbury University by the score of 7-6 Sunday (Feb. 25) afternoon in the final game of the D3 Showcase. The loss drops Marietta to 0-4 on the season. Salisbury improves to 4-2 overall.
Once again, Marietta jumped out to an early lead plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Alex Richter reached on a one-out triple and scored when Ben Kaplin lined a double to the wall in left-center. Ty Davis drove in Kaplin with a single to left for a 2-0 Pioneer lead.
The Seagulls scored four runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth. Tim Petrucelli delivered the big blow with a grand slam over the rightfield wall. Salisbury got its first two batters on in the fifth and sacrificed them to second and third. A Pioneer error allowed both runners to score.
Marietta got one run back in the bottom of the fourth.Kaplin led off with a double and moved to third on a ground out. He scored on an error by the Salisbury third baseman.
Ben Anderson made it 7-3 with a perfectly executed squeeze bunt in the top of the seventh scoring Kyle Brex who reached on a double.
Marietta tried to mount a comeback plating three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Richter drove in two runs with a double, while Kaplin had an RBI single.
Benji Thalheimer (1-0) started and got the win for the Seagulls. He worked 6.1 innings and allowed six runs, five earned, on eight hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Shawn Rpsemond picked up his second save of the season with 2.2 shutout innings of relief.
Braden Shepherd (0-1) started and took the loss for Marietta throwing 4.1 innings and allowing six runs, five earned, on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Jacob Rockypitched 1.1 innings of one-hit relief, while Jarred Bees allowed one hit on two-thirds of an inning. Gabe Torres pitched 2.2 innings of no-hit relief striking out four.
Kaplin went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Davis had three singles, while Richter had a double and a triple
Petrucelli was the lone Seagull with two hits in the game finishing with a double and the grand slam.