Ninth-inning rally propels Marietta past host McMurry, 7-5, in Abilene Classic
Three-run ninth helps Etta Express remain undefeated

March 12, 2007
ABILENE, Texas — Freshman Ryan Frost (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) made the most of his first collegiate at-bat, drawing a pinch-hit walk with the bases loaded to spark a three-run ninth inning and lead the No. 7 Marietta College baseball team to a 7-5 victory over host McMurry (Texas) Monday (March 12) at the Abilene Classic. [Box Score]

The win was the Pioneers' second of the day and fifth straight to open the season. The Indians, meanwhile, fall to 10-7 on the spring. The victory also avenged an 11-1 loss to McMurry last year, the lone blemish on Marietta's 2006 Spring Break trip to Texas.

Marietta entered the final frame trailing by a run, 5-4. Senior Joe Litke (Windsor, Conn.) led off the inning with a walk. Pinch runner Jordan Becker (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort) was erased at second base on a Tom Doty (Mentor) fielder's choice. Sophomore Don Pugliese (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) followed with a single to right, moving Doty to third. Junior Dom Winters (Washington, Pa.) then entered the batter's box with the chance to tie the game. However, he was called out on a controversial third strike. The pitch appeared to be fouled into the dirt. The home plate umpire originally called it strike three, changed his mind and then was convinced by another umpire to reverse the call back to a strike. This prompted an argument from Marietta coach Brian Brewer, who was eventually ejected.

Once things settled down, McMurry's pitcher Grayson Lee (1-1) walked freshman Jeremy Reese (Massillon/Washington) to load the bases and then Frost to force in the tying run. Senior Ryan Belanger (Coldwater, Mich.), the next hitter, made him pay with a two-run single to right field, scoring Pugliese and Reese with the go-ahead runs.

Sophomore pitcher T.J. Knowlton (Greenwich/Mapleton) returned to the mound after working an inning in the first game to close the door in the ninth and earn the save, his second of the year. McMurry did have two men on base, before junior Tony Piconke (Clinton, Mich./Clintondale) secured the final out in center field.

McMurry out-hit Marietta 10-9 in the game. The Pioneers finished with three errors, while the Indians had two.

Sophomore Justin Merryman (New Philadelphia) made his second start on the mound of the year and earned his second no decision. The left-hander scattered four runs (two earned) on seven hits over seven innings. Merryman, who left the game when it was tied 4-4, struck out five and walked two. Freshman Joe Pitrone (Highland Heights/Mayfield) worked the eighth inning, allowing one run on two hits and striking out one. He was credited with the victory, his first as a Pioneer.

McMurry struck first, scoring a single run on a ground out in the first inning. Marietta answered with a two-run second. Reese singled home Pugliese, who walked, with a one-out single. Winters, who doubled to left earlier in front of Reese, scored when senior Ryan Eschbaugh (Marietta) reached on an error.

The Etta Express increased its lead to 3-1 in the fourth, when Winters doubled home Pugliese, who reached on a fielder's choice. The Indians also scored a run in the fourth, when a wild pitch was sandwiched between back-to-back singles.

Marietta went ahead 4-2 in the fifth, when Litke deposited a one-out pitch over the right field wall for his first home run of the year.

A Winters' fielding error with two outs in the sixth allowed two runs to score and McMurry to tie the game at 4-4. The Indians took the short-lived lead with a run in the eighth, when an Eschbaugh error set up a RBI single to center by George Whitten.

Pugliese led Marietta's offense with a 2-for-3 and three runs scored performance and improved his season average to a team-high .556. Belanger and Winters each added two hits in five at-bats for the Pioneers. Both Whitten and Weston Franco had a pair of hits for McMurry in the loss.

The Etta Express will return to action Tuesday (March 13) with a single, nine-inning game against Southwest (N.M.) at 1 p.m. The action can be heard locally on WMOA-AM 1490 and online at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/onlinebroadcasts.html.