Ninth inning rally gives MC baseball a 7-3 comeback win over Washington & Jefferson in regular season finale
Etta Express surpass 30-win plateau for 29th straight season

May 10, 2005
WASHINGTON, Pa. - For eight innings Tuesday (May 10), the Washington & Jefferson baseball team controlled the momentum against No. 14 Marietta. The Etta Express, however, proved once again that all it takes is an out to completely change the result of a ball game, as Marietta erupted for five runs on only one hit, a grand slam, to pull out the 7-3 victory.

The win improves Marietta's record to 30-8-1 overall, while Washington & Jefferson falls to 28-12 on the year. Both teams begin their conference tournaments Thursday (May 12) at their respective home fields.

The Pioneers used this non conference match up between regional foes as a tune-up for the upcoming OAC Tournament. Coach Brian Brewer used five pitchers during the nine-inning game.

Senior Mike Mooney (Pittsburgh, PA/Shady Side Academy) got the start, working 1.6 innings. He allowed one run on two hits and walked one. The Presidents plated the run with a one out hit in the first frame to take a 1-0 advantage.

Marietta climbed on top 2-1 with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. Junior Justin Steranka (Pittsburgh, PA/Mt. Lebanon) led off with a double and scored on senior Chris Sidick's (Cecil PA/Canon McMillan) 11th home run of the year.

Washington & Jefferson loaded the bases off Pioneer reliever Mike Eisenberg (Coral Gables, FL/Bullis) in the fourth. Eisenberg got the next hitter to ground into a fielder's choice, but the tying run crossed the plate on the play. Eisenberg was then replaced by senior Bo Cooksey (Atwater/Waterloo), who gave up a sacrifice fly and W & J led 3-2 after four frames.

Neither team would score another run until the ninth, as Marietta's Cooksey, freshman Jeff Feigl (Severn, MD/Arundel) and junior Mike DeMark (Jeanette, PA/Penn-Trafford) shutdown the Presidents over the next four innings.

Marietta began the final frame with two quick ground outs to shortstop. From there, W & J reliever Dan Yokitis lost complete control. He walked freshman Zack Welch (Vincent/Warren Local) and then hit junior Chris Hendricks (Little Hocking/Warren Local), junior Lee Guerrera (Wolcott, CT) and sophomore John Sciullo (Bethel Park, PA) consecutively. The final hit batsmen tied the score at 3-3. Steranka was next to the plate and he made Yokitis and the Presidents pay for his wildness by smashing a grand slam to left center off teammate Hank Marinaro to give The Etta Express a 7-3 lead.

DeMark retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to improve to 9-0 on the spring, helping Marietta complete the comeback victory over the shocked Presidents.

As a team, Marietta managed just six hits and committed one error. Washington & Jefferson totaled seven hits and played errorless baseball in the loss.

Steranka was the lone Pioneer to finish with multiple hits. The junior now has 10 doubles and eight home runs on the spring.

Marietta will return to action Thursday (May 12), where they are the top seed in the OAC Tournament at Pioneer Park. The Etta Express will host No. 4 Heidelberg at 7 p.m. No. 2 Otterbein will battle No. 3 Wilmington earlier in the day at 3:30 p.m.