Merryman helps Marietta College sweep La Roche (Pa.) in 2007 home opener at Don Schaly Stadium
Junior Tony Piconke ties single-game record for doubles in nightcap

March 20, 2007
MARIETTA, Ohio — Sophomore Justin Merryman (New Philadelphia) had a memorable day Tuesday (March 20), as he played a key role in the No. 7 Marietta College baseball team's two victories over visiting La Roche College at Don Schaly Stadium. The Etta Express, playing in front of its home fans for the first time in 2007, swept the doubleheader, winning 4-2 and 9-1. The victories improve Marietta's record to 9-3, while La Roche, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, falls to 5-7 on the spring.

Merryman made his mark all over the diamond Tuesday. In game one, he went 1-for-2 at the plate with a walk and a solo home run to right field, the first at Don Schaly Stadium this season. Merryman, who also made three putouts, came in to get the final out—a called strikeout—on the mound and earn the save, his first of the year. 30 minutes later, he was back on the hill, this time in a starting role, and worked six solid innings to earn the victory and improve to 2-0. Merryman allowed just one run on four hits and struck out a career-high seven Redhawks.

Each team finished with seven hits and committed one error in the opener, while Marietta out-hit La Roche 11-5 in the nightcap. The Pioneers had two errors and the Redhawks one in game two.

In game one, Marietta took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, when senior second baseman Ryan Belanger (Coldwater, Mich.) walked and scored on a Joe Litke (Windsor, Conn.) single to right center with two outs.

Eric McCombie's double plated Dustin Kuhn with La Roche's first run and tied the game at 1-1 in the second frame.

The Pioneers reclaimed the lead in the third, when Belanger reached on an error and scored on a Don Pugliese (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) sacrifice fly. Marietta added single runs in the fourth and sixth. Merryman hit his home run, a line shot over the right field fence, in the fourth. Sophomore designated hitter Cameron Cimino (Boardman) blasted a home run to right to lead off the sixth and give the Etta Express a 4-1 advantage.

The Redhawks threatened in the last of the seventh, plating a run off freshman reliever Nate Eschbaugh (Marietta), before Merryman came in to get the final out of the game and pick up the save. Eschbaugh allowed one run (unearned) on two hits while walking one in 1 2/3 innings.

Litke and junior Dom Winters (Washington, Pa.) each finished 2-for-3 in the game. Kuhn paced the Redhawk attack with a 3-for-3 performance.

Kurt Krejocic (1-2) suffered the loss for La Roche, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two. Shawn Wright came in to get the final out of the sixth.

The Etta Express, who improves to 7-1 when scoring first, spotted Merryman a lead by plating three runs in each of the first two innings of the second game. Belanger and Cimino led off the bottom of the first with walks. Junior Tony Piconke (Clinton, Mich./Clintondale) followed with a RBI double to left, scoring Belanger and moving Cimino over to third. Cimino and Piconke both moved up one base on a balk with Cimino crossing the plate for the second run of the inning. Litke then walked, and Winters popped up to third base, before freshman outfielder Jeremy Reese (Massillon/Washington) drove in Piconke when he reached on an error.

La Roche got a run back in the top of the second, when Nick Wendell homered to left to begin the inning.

Senior Ryan Eschbaugh (Marietta), the only Pioneer not to bat in the first inning, started the bottom of the second by drawing a walk. Belanger moved Eschbaugh to third base with a double down the left field line. Piconke came to the plate two batters later and drove in Eschbaugh with his second double of the night. Litke followed with a two run single up the middle, scoring Belanger and Piconke, to put Marietta ahead 6-1.

The Pioneers plated two more runs in the fifth. Winters opened the inning by legging out a triple. Freshman Ryan Frost (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) followed with a single, scoring sophomore Mike Basic (Parma/Holy Name), who pinch ran for Winters. Freshman Danny Jones (Lima/Shawnee), who doubled later in the inning, scored when Eschbaugh and he executed a double steal with runners on first and third base.

Piconke scored the final run of the day in the sixth inning. He reached base with a one-out double, his third of the game. It was the 25th time that a Pioneer player had three doubles in a game, which is both a school and an Ohio Athletic Conference record. Piconke moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Basic reached on a fielder's choice.

Freshman Tyler Penwell (Washington Court House) worked the final inning, allowing one hit and striking out one, to secure the victory.

Piconke finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Belanger added two hits and two runs scored in three at-bats and six others had a hit in the game. Darin Sharek had two of La Roche's five hits in the loss.