Etta Express falls from first place after two 3-2 losses at Otterbein
Cardinals pull off two seventh-inning comebacks to take sole possession of first place

Apr. 22, 2006
WESTERVILLE, Ohio — The Ohio Athletic Conference's most anticipated match-up of the season took place Saturday (Apr. 22) afternoon when No. 19 Marietta College visited Otterbein College for a baseball doubleheader with sole possession of first place on the line. Unfortunately for the Pioneers, the Cardinals rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the seventh inning of both games to win 3-2 and take control of the Conference race with eight games remaining.

With the two losses, Marietta has now lost three straight and fell to 21-8 overall and 7-3 in the OAC. Otterbein improved to 17-10 overall and 9-1 in league play.

Game one featured a pair of aces on the mound and hits proved to be difficult to come by for most of the game.

Marietta took a 1-0 lead in the first, when senior Jarrod Klausman (Altoona, Pa.) walked and scored on a double by senior Justin Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) with two outs. Klausman was able to score when the ball was mishandled by the left fielder.

Otterbein tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth, when Jerry Tugla homered to right center field.

The Pioneers regained the advantage in the sixth. Senior Lee Guerrera (Wolcott, Conn.) hit his second home run of the season in the inning.

The Cardinals, however, had the last laugh. Mike Eisenberg (Coral Gables, Fla./Bullis) got himself into trouble by walking two of the first three hitters. After a wild pitch moved runners to second and third, a RBI ground out by Kyle Dyar tied the game with two outs. Eisenberg then hit the next hitter before giving up the game-winning single to Ben Titus.

Eisenberg, who fell to 6-1 on the year, allowed just three hits in the game. He finished with seven strikeouts and five walks. Dan Remenowsky earned the win to improve to 5-2. He scattered five hits, walked two and fanned six.

Marietta's Steranka and Otterbein's Tugla each finished 2-for-3 in the game.

In game two, it was Otterbein who took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Titus singled off Mike DeMark (Jeanette, Pa./Penn-Trafford) and scored on a hit by Tugla with two outs.

The Pioneers quickly tied the game at 1-1 in the second. Junior Joe Litke led off the inning with a double and crossed the plate on a RBI ground out by sophomore Tad Thomas (Mansfield/Madison).

Marietta gained a 2-1 lead in the sixth. Thomas again delivered a RBI on a ground out. Steranka, who singled earlier, scored on the play.

It was deja vu for the Etta Express in the bottom of the seventh inning, as they took a 2-1 lead into Otterbein's last at-bat only for the Cardinals to score two runs and win 3-2.

DeMark gave up two singles and walked a pair and there was also one error in the inning. Brandon Mauck had the game-winning RBI single with one out and the bases loaded.

DeMark, who fell to 3-1 on the year, allowed four hits and finished with four walks and eight strikeouts in the game. Doug Stevens earned the win to improve to 6-0. He allowed eight hits and struck out six.

Litke finished the nightcap 3-for-3, while junior Ryan Eschbaugh (Marietta) went 2-for-3 in the game.

Marietta will look to snap its three-game losing streak when it hosts No. 29 Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) Tuesday (Apr. 25) for a single, nine-inning game at 7 p.m.