Visiting Wilmington works a split in No. 25 Marietta's OAC-opening doubleheader
Etta Express visit Otterbein Saturday at 1 p.m.

Apr. 2, 2007
MARIETTA, Ohio – The No. 25 Marietta College baseball team had to wait two days before it could play Wilmington College in its Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) opener. When the two teams finally met at Don Schaly Stadium on Monday (Apr. 2) afternoon, the match-up ended with a split. The Etta Express took game one, 7-5, while the Quakers rolled in the nightcap, 10-4.

With the split, Marietta is now 13-5, 1-1 in the OAC. It is the first time since 1998 that the Pioneers have not opened league play with a pair of wins. Wilmington improved to 10-5, 1-1 in the OAC.

The Etta Express were actually out-hit 11-10 and committed the only error in the opener.

Marietta jumped on Wilmington starter Bryce DeWeese, who entered with an OAC-best 0.96 ERA, for a pair of runs in the first inning, when sophomore Don Pugliese (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) singled with one out, and junior Tony Piconke (Clinton Twp., Mich./Clintondale) followed with a two-run home run to right. It was his team-leading fourth of the year.

The Quakers tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth. Mike Kroeger and Wade Rethmel had runs batted in against Pioneer sophomore starter Jason Baumler (Crownsville, Md./Southern Garrett). The Etta Express answered with a run in the bottom of the frame, when junior Tom Doty (Mentor) walked and scored on a ground out by senior Ryan Eschbaugh (Marietta).

Marietta added three more runs in the last of the fifth. A single by junior Dom Winters (Washington, Pa.) drove in Pugliese, who led off the inning with a walk. Freshman Danny Jones (Lima/Shawnee) singled home Winters three batters later. Doty scored the third run of the frame on a single by freshman Ryan Frost (St, John, Ind./Lake Central).

Wilmington came back with two runs in the sixth inning off freshman reliever Nate Eschbaugh (Marietta) to pull within a run, 6-5. Again, Marietta answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth, when Pugliese scored on a double play.

The Quakers threatened again in the seventh, scoring one run, before sophomore Justin Merryman (New Philadelphia) closed the door to pick up his second save of the spring.

Baumler (4-1) earned the win, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits in four innings. He struck out six and walked one. Eschbaugh surrendered two runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings. Sophomore T.J. Knowlton (Greenwich/Mapleton) threw a scoreless 2/3 of an inning, before Merryman got the final three outs. Merryman did allow one run on three hits, striking out one and walking one.

DeWeese (2-1) took the loss for Wilmington, allowing seven runs on 10 hits. He walked five and fanned one. Ronnie Campbell worked a scoreless sixth despite walking two in the frame.

Both Pugliese and Jones finished the game 2-for-2, while Winters was 2-for-3. Pugliese scored three of the team’s runs in the win. Wilmington’s third through seven hitters all had a pair of hits in the loss.

Marietta once again took an early lead in the nightcap, when senior Joe Litke (Windsor, Conn.) doubled home freshman Cameron Cimino (Boardman), who was on first base with a walk, in the first inning against Wilmington senior Jamison George.

Wilmington, however, knocked Merryman, the game-two starter, out of the game in the top of the second. Kroeger began the frame with a solo home run to right field. Ben Butler followed with a single, before Jason Iles drilled a two-run homer to left field.

The Quakers flexed their muscles again in the fifth. Tyler Ledford turned on a fastball from freshman reliever Tyler Penwell (Washington Court House) and drilled it over the left field fence to increase Wilmington’s lead to 4-1. Butler drove in the fifth run of the game with a two-out double off the left field fence five batters later, knocking Penwell out of the game.

Marietta got its offense going in the bottom of the fifth. Winters opened with a double to right and freshman Jeremy Reese (Massillon/Washington) followed with a walk. Freshman pinch hitter Chris Beatty (Seven Field, Pa./Bishop McCort) then singled to load the bases. Freshman Mark Lakas (Westerville/Mason), another pinch hitter, reached on an infield single with Winters scoring on the play. After senior Ryan Belanger (Coldwater, Mich.) popped up, Cimino walked, forcing in Reese. Piconke then delivered a sacrifice fly to drive in Beatty and pulled the Etta Express within a run, 5-4.

In the sixth, Wilmington added a run on a sacrifice fly off junior reliever Derek Cummings (Tuscarawas/Indian Valley) to stretch its lead back to 6-4.

The Etta Express loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth, but George got out of the jam with a strike out and a fielder’s choice.

It was Wilmington who loaded the bases in the top of the seventh off Pugliese. The Quakers then were able to add a run on a Ledford infield single to increase its lead to 7-4. Taylor Clark then cleared the bases with a double to left center to make the score 10-4. Pugliese was pulled after walking the next hitter, and Knowlton came in to stop the bleeding with a strikeout.

George allowed a two-out single to Litke before getting a strikeout to secure his third win of the year. The senior scattered four runs on six hits, walked four and struck out six in the victory.

Merryman (2-1) suffered the loss after allowing three runs on four hits in one inning. Penwell gave up two runs on three hits over the next 3 2/3 innings. Freshman Joe Pitrone (Highland Heights/Mayfield) walked one and fanned one in 1/3 of an inning. Cummings allowed one run on one hit in one inning. Pugliese was tagged for four runs on three hits with two walks in 2/3 of an inning, while Knowlton struck out the only batter he faced.

For the second game in a row, Wilmington banged out 11 hits. Butler finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Clark, Ledford and Kroeger all added two hits in the win. Litke had two of Marietta’s six hits in the loss.

The Pioneers will look to regroup before they travel to Westerville Saturday (Apr. 7) for a key OAC showdown with rival Otterbein. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1 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.