No. 25 Marietta tops Ohio Wesleyan, 8-4, at Don Schaly Stadium
Four-run first inning propels Etta Express past Battling Bishops in Mideast match-up

March 27, 2007
MARIETTA, Ohio — Marietta College junior third baseman Dom Winters (Washington, Pa.) stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded in the first inning of Tuesday (March 27) evening's game against Ohio Wesleyan looking to provided an early spark for the Pioneer offense in the Mideast Region battle. Winters delivered with a three-run double to right center that proved to be the key hit in an 8-4 victory for the Etta Express.

The win improves No. 25 Marietta's record to 11-4, while Ohio Wesleyan falls to 7-7.

Sophomore Jason Baumler (Crownsville, Md./Old Mill), who has been nursing a sore elbow, made his first appearance in two weeks and worked two solid innings to earn the victory. Baumler, who improved to 3-1, allowed just one hit, walked one and struck out one.

Marietta sent eight men to the plate in the first inning. Sophomore Don Pugliese (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) led off with an infield single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He then moved to third on a Cameron Cimino (Boardman) ground out. Junior Tony Piconke (Clinton Twp., Mich./Clintondale) singled up the middle to plate Pugliese with the first run of the day. Senior Joe Litke (Windsor, Conn.) and junior Tom Doty (Mentor) then reached on a fielding error and hit by pitch, respectively, to load the bases for Winters, who delivered the three-run double two batters later.

Ohio Wesleyan had back-to-back, two-out doubles off sophomore Tim Knowlton (Greenwich/Mapleton) to score two runs in the third.

The Etta Express responded with two runs in its half of the frame to go up 6-2. Sophomore Justin Merryman (New Philadelphia) had a two-run single to center, scoring Litke and Winters.

Marietta added its final run in the fourth, when Cimino drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on a Litke single through the left side.

The Battling Bishops tacked on a run in the seventh thanks to a pair of Pioneer fielding errors, but that is how it ended with Marietta winning 8-4.

Tyler Smith (2-1) took the loss, allowing seven runs (four earned) on seven hits in four innings. He walked three and fanned two. Matthew Struble and Sean Ring both worked two innings of relief. Struble allowed one run on two hits, while Ring gave up one hit. Both walked a pair of hitters.

Knowlton was charged with three runs on seven hits, while striking out two in three innings. Freshman Tyler Penwell (Washington Court House) allowed one run on one hit in two innings, and Merryman closed the game with two scoreless frames.

Litke was 2-for-4 with two runs scored on one RBI. He also added 14 putouts. Eight other Marietta hitters had a hit and all were singles. Ring and A.J. Dote both went 2-for-4 at the plate for Ohio Wesleyan.

The Etta Express returns to action Thursday (March 29), when it plays host to another NCAC foe Denison in a single, nine-inning game at 7 p.m. The game will be carried live by WMOA-AM 1490. The action can also be heard over the Internet at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/onlinebroadcasts.html and live statistics are available by visiting http://pioneers.marietta.edu/livestats/xlive.htm.