MC Baseball heading back to Appleton
Etta Express claim 19th Mideast Regional title and advance to the World Series

May 20, 2006
TERRE HAUTE, Indiana —Appleton, Wisconsin, beware; the Etta Express is heading back to the NCAA Division III World Series. Marietta College (39-11) secured its place in the eight-team Championship by taking down archrival Otterbein, 8-7, in 11 innings to win the Mideast Region Saturday (May 20), which was hosted by Rose-Hulman (Ind.). The Cardinals forced the deciding game by winning the first game of the day 4-1.

This will be the 19th appearance in the World Series for Marietta. The Pioneers have captured three national championships (1981, 1983 and 1986) and have finished runners-up seven times, including 2001 and 2002 which were both played in Appleton.

Championship day of the Mideast Regional featured a pair Ohio Athletic Conference teams. Otterbein, the second-seed and 2006 OAC regular season and tournament champions, entered having to defeat third-seed Marietta twice to claim the Mideast Regional title. The Cardinals began the day with a 4-1 advantage over the Pioneers in the season series. Each game of the rivalry between the two evenly-matched teams was a battle and these two games proved to be no exception.

Faithful fans from both schools were quite familiar with Saturday’s situation as just last week at the OAC Tournament the tables were turned with Marietta needing two victories over Otterbein to steal the title. Last weekend, the Cardinals pulled out an extra inning victory after the Pioneers won the first game. This weekend, Marietta responded from a first game loss to capture the Regional crown with an extra-inning victory.

The Cardinals and the Pioneers played 20 innings of baseball Saturday and, as usual, it took extra innings to decide the winner. With the score tied at 7-7 in the top of the 11th, Marietta provided the heroics in this chapter of the rivalry.

Sophomore Tony Piconke (Clinton Twp., Mich./Clintondale) got the Pioneers going with a one-out single over the shortstop’s head. He then hustled from first to third on a single by senior Jarrod Klausman (Altoona, Pa.). Senior Justin Steranka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) drew a walk to load the bases for sophomore pinch hitter Dominick Winters (Washington, Pa.). Winters, who provided a big hit to tie the game against Manchester (Ind.) on Friday, sent a ground ball to third. Otterbein tried to turn the double play, but the ball was bobbled at second base, and Piconke was able to score the go-ahead run.

Senior Mike DeMark (Jeanette, Pa./Penn-Trafford), who entered in the 10th and retired the side in order, returned to the hill for the 11th looking to secure the Mideast crown. DeMark quickly got the first two outs of the frame before giving up back-to-back singles. The right-hander, however, regrouped to get the next Cardinal to foul out to All-Tournament team honoree Steranka at third base with a full count to seal the win.

Otterbein took a 1-0 lead off freshman Jason Baumler (Crownsville, Md./Old Mill) in the first inning. Marietta tied the game at 1-1 in the second, when senior Lee Guerrera’s (Wolcott, Conn.) sacrifice fly allowed sophomore Tom Doty (Mentor) to score.

The Cardinals went back ahead by a run in their half of the second frame, before the Pioneers scored three runs in the third to take a 4-2 lead. Piconke had a RBI single and Doty delivered a two-run double in the inning.

Otterbein regained the lead 7-4 with a five-run fifth inning in which it knocked Baumler out of the game. Freshman Scott Dunn (Clinton, Pa/Southside) relieved Baumler and gave up back-to-back doubles before getting the final two outs of the inning.

Marietta inched closer when Guerrera singled home junior Joe Litke (Windsor, Conn.) in the sixth.

The Pioneers completed the comeback in the eighth. Freshman Justin Merryman (New Philadelphia), who pinch hit earlier in the game, drilled a pitch just inside the first base bag and into the right field corner for a double. Freshman Josh Beebe (Fleming/Warren Local) and junior Ryan Belanger (Coldwater, Mich.) both scored on the play. The score remained the same until the 11th.

DeMark worked two scoreless innings to pick up the win and improve to 8-1 on the year. He allowed three hits and fanned two. Baumler was tagged for six runs on five hits, while walking three and striking out three in 4.3 innings. Dunn filled in the gap, scattering one run on four hits in 3.6 frames.

Trevor Horn suffered the loss in relief, allowing one run on four hits in three innings. Starter Dan Remenowsky and Doug Stevens each came back on short rest and allowed six hits in four innings.

Marietta finished with 16 hits and made one error in the game. Otterbein slugged out 12 hits and had two errors in the loss.

Doty, the MVP of the Tournament, finished 4-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored. All-Tournament team member Klausman also had four hits, while Litke and Piconke added a pair of hits each.

Earlier in the day two All-Tournament team selections - junior Mike Eisenberg (Coral Gables, Fla./Bullis) and Bobby Wright - were locked in a classic pitcher’s duel. Neither allowed a run until the eighth inning.

Otterbein struck first, scoring on an error when Guerrera tried to pick off a runner at third base with runners on first and third. Guerrera’s throw caught the runner off guard, but it was mishandled by Steranka, allowing the run to score.

Marietta bounced back with the tying run in the bottom of the eighth. Klausman was able to hit a sacrifice fly with one out to score junior Ryan Eschbaugh (Marietta), who was hit by a pitch to start the inning.

The Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth off Eisenberg, who then walked in the go-ahead run before exiting the game. Merryman came into the game to get the final three outs, but not before Otterbein added two more runs, one a wild pitch and the other on a ground out.

The Etta Express could not respond in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Cardinals the victory and setting up the dramatic second game of the day.

Marietta out-hit Otterbein seven to five in the loss. Klausman and Litke each had a pair of hits, including a double, for the Pioneers.

Wright improved to 2-3 with the complete game victory, while Eisenberg fell to 11-2. Both of his losses came against Otterbein with it scoring in the final inning. Eisenberg allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits in eight-plus innings. He struck out six and walked two.

The Pioneers will return to action Friday (May 26) when they begin their quest for a fourth National Championship. Marietta’s opponent will be Wisconsin-Stevens Point, who captured the Wisconsin Regional. First pitch will be at 7:45 p.m. central time. All of the action can be heard live on WMOA-AM 1490 and mariettaonline.com.