MARIETTA, Ohio — The University of Pittsburgh Greensburg downed Marietta College 5-3 Friday (April 24) afternoon in nonconference baseball action at Don Schaly Stadium. The Bobcats improve to 16-14-1 on the season, while the Etta Express is 19-14 overall.
The Bobcats jumped on Marietta starting pitcher Tyler Nieberding for three runs in the top of the first inning. Pitt Greensburg's first three hitters went single, double, single to get the rally started. All told, the Bobcats sent nine hitters to the plate in the inning. Pitt added another run in the fourth for a 4-0 lead.
Marietta scored one in the sixth and another in the seventh to cut the deficit in half. The Pioneers loaded the bases with one out in the sixth for Christian Demko. Demko hit a sac fly to left field scoring Tyler Packanik, who led off the inning with a single.
Mitch Geers started the home half of the seventh with a single and moved to second on a groundout. Packanik smacked a two-out single to right field plating Geers with MC's second run of the game.
A defensive miscue by the Pioneers led to an unearned Bobcat run in the ninth giving Greensburg a 5-2 lead.
Marietta had a rally brewing in the ninth when Ryan Hanahan and Chris Winpigler walked to lead off the inning. Packanik singled for the third time to load the bases with no outs.
Chris Petrucci lifted a fly ball to left. Hanahan tagged up and scored, but Winpigler got caught off second base for a Bobcat double play stalling the Pioneers comeback bid.
Pitt used five different pitchers in the game. Cory Deighan (2-4) started and got the win. He worked 1.1 innings and gave up two hits. Billy Elliot worked the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Nieberding (2-3) took the loss for Marietta. He threw 7.0 innings and gave up four runs on nine hits. Nieberding walked two and struck out two. Mitch McNabb, Mike Fulton and Corey Whaley all threw in relief.
Packanik finished 3-for-5, while Brandon Papp had two hits including a double. Hanahan and Petrucci each had a double.
Marietta plays a key Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader at John Carroll University Saturday (April 25) at 1:00 p.m. The Pioneers (9-5) are currently one game behind the Blue Streaks (10-4) in the OAC standings.