MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College moved into a tie for second place in the Ohio Athletic Conference baseball standings with a doubleheader sweep of John Carroll University Saturday (April 20) afternoon. The Pioneers posted scores of 3-0 and 13-5 improving to 17-14 overall and 9-5 in the OAC. John Carroll falls to 11-19 overall and 5-9 in the OAC.
Marietta scored two runs in the first inning of game one. Nick Bonnizzio led off with an infield single. Following two straight outs, Ben Kaplin singled up the middle moving Bonnizzio to third. RBI singles from Jeremy Tonelli and Diego DeCello followed.
Those two runs were all that the Pioneers would need as pitchers Jacoby Rocky and Gabe Torres combined to shutout the Blue Streaks. Rocky (3-1) made his first start of the season and struck out 12 JCU hitters in 6.0 of work. He allowed six hits and did not walk a batter. Torres recorded his second save of the season with 3.0 inning of two-hit relief. Torres struck out five.
Rocky worked out of trouble in the second inning. The Blue Streaks loaded the bases with three straight singles to lead off the inning only to watch Rocky strike out the side.
Tonelli led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single and stole second. DeCello sacrificed Tonelli to third and Austin Amburgey drove him in with a double.
Tonelli went 3-for-4 with an RBI and one run scored.
Kaplin got the Pioneers on the board in the first inning of game two. Alex Richter was hit by a pitch and Cael Magill doubled. Kaplin followed with a single up the middle scoring Richter and Magill.
Kaplin launched a solo home run in the third and Bonnizzio knocked in a run with a single in the fourth giving the Pioneers a 4-0 lead.
After John Carroll cut the lead in half with two runs in the top of the fifth inning, Marietta responded with three runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to put the game away.
Kaplin had an RBI single in the fifth and then drove in another run with a bases loaded walk in the seventh. Freshman Jack Neal plated a run with a bases loaded walk in the fifth and then plated two more with a single in the sixth.
Jared Bees (1-1) started on the mound and got the win. He worked 3.1 innings and allowed six hits with two strikeouts. Forest Havanis allowed two runs on two hits in 1.2 innings. Zach Marzetz earned a save throwing 4.0 innings and giving up three runs on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Austin Miller (1-5) started and took the loss for JCU. He was charged with six runs on eight hits in 4.0 innings of work. Five other pitchers toed the rubber for John Carroll.
Kaplin finished 3-for-4 with a home run, five RBI and two runs scored. Bonnizzio, Amburgey and Trent Valentine each had two hits in the game.
Marietta plays a single, nonconference game at Washington and Jefferson College on Sunday (April 21). First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.