No place like home for the Etta Express
Marietta tops Denison 12-1 to improve to 8-0 at Pioneer Park on the spring

Apr. 6, 2005
MARIETTA, Ohio - For the first time in 11 days, the Etta Express, ranked 10th in the nation, played a varsity game in the comforts of Pioneer Park. Marietta did not spend much time getting reacquainted, as it struck for three runs in the first and never looked back in route to a 12-1 non conference victory over Denison Wednesday (Apr. 6). Marietta (17-3-1, 4-0 OAC) took a break from its Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) schedule to play host to the Big Red (6-12, 3-1 NCAC).

The Pioneers opened the first frame with a three-run home run off the bat of junior Justin Steranka (Pittsburgh, PA/Mt. Lebanon). Sophomore Ryan Belanger (Coldwater, MI) walked and scored in the second to give MC a 4-0 lead.

Three more runs came across in the third when the inning started with a single by sophomore John Sciullo (Bethel Park, PA) and freshman Zack Welch (Vincent/Warren) walked. Both scored on a throwing error off the bat of junior Jarrod Klausman (Altoona, PA). Klausman later scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Chris Hendricks (Little Hocking/Warren).

Marietta's scoring run continued the next inning when Welch doubled home Steranka to give the Etta Express an 8-0 lead through four frames.

Freshman Tony Piconke (Clinton Twp, Mi/Clintondale) delivered a two-run home run in the fifth and Marietta led 10-0 after five innings.

The Pioneers completed their scoring in the seventh, when senior Chris Sidick (Cecil, PA/Canon McMillan) and Belanger reached base and then scored on a double by Piconke.

Denison finally scored a run of their own in the eighth, but it was not nearly enough, as Marietta won 12-1.

Piconke and Steranka each finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Piconke had four RBI, while Steranka finished with three. Sciullo also had two hits in the win.

Denison had seven errors in the game and managed just four hits in the loss, two off the bat of Tripp Dudley.

Junior Mike DeMark (Jeanette, PA/Penn-Trafford) pitched 4.0 innings, allowing just one hit, walking two and striking out five to improve to 4-0 on the spring.

Freshman Jeff Feigel (Severn, MD/Arundel) threw the middle 3.0 innings, also giving up one hit and fanning four. Sophomore Mike Eisenberg (Coral Gables, FL/Bullis) finished the game, allowing one unearned run on two hits in 2.0 innings.

Harry Shillingford took the loss, giving up seven runs on two hits in 2.6 innings of action.

The Etta Express will return Saturday (Apr. 9) when they play host to OAC nemesis Heidelberg at 1 p.m. Saturday is Community Day at Marietta College. Admission is free, the first 1,000 fans through the gate get a t-shirt, prizes will be given away, fans can keep foul balls and there will be free food between games.