MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College and the University of Mount Union split an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday (March 25) at Pioneer Park. The Purple Raiders won the first game, 10-9, and the Etta Express rolled to a 14-4 victory in game two. Marietta moves to 13-6 overall and 1-1 in the OAC. Mount Union is 12-5 overall and 1-1 in the OAC.
Mount Union scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game at 8-8 and then plated two more runs in the ninth to take the lead.
Pioneer reliever Jacob Rocky struck out the first two Purple Raider hitters in the ninth before giving up a solo home run to John Razzante. Zack Mazza followed with a single and then scored when Eric Schilling doubled to center field for a 10-8 lead.
Marietta got a two-out solo home run from Brett Carson in the bottom of the ninth and had the tying run on base when the game ended on an infield pop up.
The Pioneers scored six of their nine runs on home runs. Ben Kaplin hit a three-run bomb to right in the third inning and Alex Richter smacked a two0run shot in the fourth to go along with Carson's solo shot.
Jaired Lehman started on the mound for Mount Union and worked 5.0 innings giving up eight runs on 11 hits. Chris Phillip (1-2) took over and threw 4.0 innings of one-hit relief for the win. He allowed one run, walked one and struck out one.
Kail Hill got the nod for Marietta and allowed two runs on four hits in 3.0 innings. He walked three and struck out one. Zach Marzetz gave up one run in 2.1 innings, while Gino Sabatine was tagged for five runs on six hits in 1.0 inning. Jacob Rocky (1-1) took the loss allowing two runs on four hits in 2.2 innings. He struck out six Purple Raiders.
Richter, Carson, Kaplin, Ty Davis and Austin Amburgey all had two hits in the game for the Pioneers.
In game two, Marietta scored in every offensive inning but two as the Pioneers pounded out 15 base hits in the game.
Carson delivered a two-run triple in the first inning as Marietta jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. Davis knocked in the third run with an RBI ground out. He added another run-scoring ground out in the third inning as Marietta pushed its lead to 4-0.
After allowing Mount Union to plate a run in the top of the fourth, Marietta answered with four more in the home half of the inning. Cooper Fiehrer had an RBI single, Richter drove in a run with a triple and Carson capped the inning with an RBI single.
Richter and Carson triggered another four-run inning for the Pioneers in the sixth. Richter hit an RBI ground rule double and Carson launched a monster three-run home run over the wall in right field.
Trent Valentine provided the exclamation point with a towering solo home run way over the right field wall in the eighth.
Valentine (2-0) started on the mound and got the win working 6.0 innings and allowing three runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out seven. Carson notched his second save of the season throwing the final 3.0 innings. Carson gave up one run on six hits and struck out two.
Brady Hansen (3-1) was hit with the loss after giving up eight runs on eight hits in 4.0 innings. He walked three and struck out three. Jack Faflik and Jaylen Leedy both threw in relief for the Purple Raiders.
Richter finished 4-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBI. Carson drove in six runs and had three hits, including a triple and home run. Nick Bonnizzio had three hits and scored four times.
After seven straight home games, Marietta hits the road next week. The Pioneers play a single nonconference game at Wittenberg on Wednesday (March 29) at 6:00 p.m. and then travels to Ohio Northern for a 1:00 p.m. OAC doubleheader on Saturday (April 1).