MOUNT BERRY, Georgia — The No. 20 ranked Marietta College baseball team came from behind to defeat Berry College by the score of 13-8 Saturday (Mar. 2) afternoon. The Pioneers improve to 1-4 on the season, while Berry slips to 8-3 overall.

Alex Richter started the day off with a towering home run to straight away center field in the top of the first inning.

The Vikings responded with five runs over the next three innings to take a 5-1 lead. Riley Uhls led off the second with a double and came around to score on an RBI single from Garrett Lang. A Pioneer error led to Berry's second run of the inning.

Joey Garcia and Nick Brunswick led off the third with back-to-back singles. Both stole a base moving to second and third. Garcia scored on an RBI groundout by Levi Cloud. Berry got its first two runners on in the fourth and sacrifice bunted them into scoring position. A wild pitch plated one run and a sac fly from Garcia scored the second.

The Pioneers tied the game, 5-5, with four runs in the top of the sixth inning. Cole Yeager led off with a triple and scored on a single from Nick Bonnizzio. Trent Valentine singled moving Bonnizzio to third. A balk plated Bonnizzio. Richter drove in Valentine with an RBI double and later scored on a single from Cole Rieman.

The lead was shirt-lived as Berry got a two-run home run from Charles Pulaski in the home half of the inning. Alex Knapp led off with a walk and following a strikeout, Pulaski homered off the leftfield foul pole.

The Etta Express scored eight runs over the next three innings to get the win. Richter delivered a two-run single in the seventh to start a four-run rally. Ben Kaplin reached on an error that plated two more runs in the seventh.

Kaplin drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double in the eighth. Marietta added an insurance run in the ninth when Valentine picked up an RBI on an infield error.

Valentine started on the mound for the Pioneers and worked 3.0 innings giving up five runs, three earned, on seven hits. Jared Bees threw 2.1 innings and gave up two runs on two hits. Jacob Rocky (1-1) picked up the win throwing 2.2 innings and allowing one run on one hit. Gabe Torres pitched the ninth.

Berry used seven pitchers in the game. Charles Stephenson started and threw 5.0 innings. He allowed four runs on five hits. Stephen Slezak (0-1) was tagged with the loss. He gave up two runs, one earned, on one hit.

Richter led the Pioneer offense going 4-for-5 with a double, home run and four RBI. Yeager was a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored. Kaplin had a double and drive in four runs.

Uhls had three hits and three RBI for the Vikings. Pulaski, Garcia, and Lang had two hits apiece.

Marietta heads to Port Charlotte, Florida for seven games next week. The Pioneers play Wabash College on Monday (Mar. 4) at 12:00 p.m.