TIFFIN, Ohio – In a battle for first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference baseball standings, No. 27 ranked Marietta College split a doubleheader with No. 12 ranked Heidelberg University Saturday (April 12) afternoon. The Etta Express posted a 4-1 win in game one, while the Student Princes took the second game, 9-7.

The Pioneers are 18-10 on the season and one game back in the OAC standings with a 7-3 conference mark. Heidelberg moves to 23-5 overall and 8-2 in the OAC.

Sophomores Christian Herstine and Jason Byers combined on a two-hitter in the first game. Herstine (5-1) started and picked up the win with 7.0 strong innings of work. He allowed one unearned run to lower his team-leading earned run average to 0.92 on the season. Heidelberg managed one hit against Herstine.

Byers earned his first save of the season with 2.0 innings of shutout relief. Byers gave up one hit and struck out two of the seven batters he faced.

Marietta scored a run in each of the fourth through seventh innings. Freshman designated hitter Ryan Annett smacked an RBI double down the right field line to score Josh Ungerbuehler with the Pioneers' first run of the game.

First baseman Mitch Geers plated a run with double into the right center gap in the fifth, while Annett launched his first career home run, a solo shot, in the sixth. Annett finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and two RBI.

An errant pick off attempts in the top of the seventh led to Marietta's final run of the game.

Senior Chris Thomas (5-1) started and got the loss for Heidelberg. Thomas was charged with four runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out one in 7.0 innings of work.

After a scoreless first inning in the second game, the Student Princes scored seven runs over the next three frames to build a 7-2 lead. Marietta's two runs came on a two-run blast off the bat of Geers that cleared the wall in leftfield.

Heidelberg roughed up Marietta starter Tyler Nieberding and freshman reliever Jim Luyster. Nieberding (3-1) pitched 3.0 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits to get the loss. Luyster gave up three runs on three base hits in just 0.2 innings of work.

Each time Marietta inched closer Heidelberg answered with runs in the bottom half of the inning. Second baseman Tyler Packanik delivered a two-run single in the top of the sixth to cut the deficit to 7-4. The Student Princes plated a run in the seventh and another in the eight to lead 9-4 heading into Marietta's final at bat.

The Etta Express refused to go quietly getting a [air of base runners on with one out in the ninth. Geers followed with his second home run of the game. A three-run shot over the wall in left center to get the Pioneers within two, 9-7.

Geers went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, three runs scored and five runs batted in.

Freshman Derek Hendrixson managed to close the door on the Pioneers for his fourth save of the season.  Hendrixson tossed 3.1 innings of relief and gave up three runs on three hits.

Sophomore Steve Huber (3-0) started on the mound for Heidelberg and got the win. Huber threw 5.2 innings and was charged with four runs on only two hits. He walked five and struck out four.

Marietta returns home to host Capital University on Tuesday (April 15) in a 1:00 p.m. OAC doubleheader.