No. 25 Marietta and No. 27 Otterbein split key OAC doubleheader
Offense dominates snowy day in Westerville

Apr. 7, 2007
WESTERVILLE, Ohio — Saturday (Apr. 7) afternoon was the first meeting between bitter rivals—No. 25 Marietta College, the reigning national champions, and No. 27 Otterbein College, who lost to the Pioneers in the NCAA Mideast Regional Final—in the most anticipated OAC doubleheader of the season. Bitter temperatures, which were accompanied by snow flurries, matched the intensity of the day.

The Cardinals (14-5, 3-1 OAC) pounded out 18 hits en route to a 16-3 victory in the opener at Fishbaugh Field. The Etta Express (14-6, 2-2 OAC) then turned the tables in the second game, banging out 13 hits to lead Marietta to an 8-5 victory and salvage a split.

Game one was all Otterbein, as it scored 16 runs on 18 hits off four Marietta pitchers. The Cardinals made two errors. The Etta Express finished with three runs on seven hits and had one error.

The Pioneers took a 1-0 lead, when senior Ryan Belanger (Coldwater, Mich.) led off the first inning with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by junior Tony Piconke (Clinton Twp., Mich./Clintondale) and then scored on a RBI single by senior Joe Litke (Windsor, Conn.).

The Cardinals responded by batting around in the bottom of the frame off sophomore starter Justin Merryman (New Philadelphia). Otterbein, who scored four runs, had five straight hits with one out in the inning.

Marietta added its second run of the game in the second. Sophomore Brennan Cribbins (Middleburg Heights/Midpark) had a two-out, infield single and then scored when Belanger followed with a triple to right field.

Otterbein sent nine men to the plate again in the second. This time, it scored five runs on four hits to take a 9-2 lead.

Merryman (2-2) did not come back out for the third. He was charged with nine runs on nine hits in two innings.

Freshman Mark Jackson (Warren/Champion), who made his first varsity appearance, then gave up four runs on five hits in the third frame, his only inning of work, as the Cardinals extended their advantage to 13-2.

Sophomore Pat Logan (Washington, Pa./Trinity) worked the fourth inning, where he allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits, and then a scoreless fifth.

Marietta freshman Chris Beatty (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton) blasted his first career home run to start the sixth and make the score 15-3.

Otterbein completed the scoring in the sixth, when it added a run off sophomore Jayson Roth (Tuscarawas/Indian Valley).

Junior Dan Remenowsky (3-0) earned the victory for the Cardinals. He allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out seven without a walk in six innings. Trevor Horn worked a scoreless seventh.

Belanger finished 2-for-4 for Marietta. Ben Titus went 4-for-4, while Chris Kovanda, Dan Lassak, Jerry Tugla and Chris Martin all had three hits for Otterbein.

The Etta Express regrouped before the teams retook the field for the nightcap. Marietta was again the first to score, as it plated four runs in the first inning of Otterbein starter Doug Stevens. Belanger walked to lead off the game. Piconke followed with a RBI double. Sophomore Cameron Cimino (Boardman) then walked, before Litke shot a ball through the right side for a RBI single. Piconke scored on the play. After a strikeout, freshman Danny Jones (Lima/Shawnee) drove in Cimino with a ground out. Junior Dom Winters (Washington, Pa.) had the final hit of the inning, a single through the right side to score Litke.

Marietta extended its lead to 6-0 in the second, when senior Ryan Eschbaugh (Marietta) walked and scored on a Piconke single with one out. Piconke then came around to scored on single by Litke.

Otterbein plated two runs off starter T.J. Knowlton (Greenwich/Mapleton) in the bottom of the second, but Marietta answered with a two-run third to make the score 8-2. Piconke had a two-run single in the inning.

The Cardinals finally knocked out Knowlton after scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman Tyler Penwell (Washington Court House), however, came in to get the final two outs after allowing two hits and secure the victory.

Knowlton, who improved to 3-0, scattered five runs on 10 hits, walked one and struck out three. Stevens, who fell to 3-2, allowed eight runs (six earned) on 12 hits. He walked four and fanned four. Andrew Harrison worked the seventh for Otterbein and gave up one hit while walking one and striking out one.

Piconke paced the Pioneers' offense, which finished with 13 hits. The center fielder went 5-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBI. Winters added three hits in four at-bats, while Litke was 2-for-4 with two runs batted in. Pat Connor had three of Otterbein's 12 hits, and Kovanda and Tugla both went 2-for-4 in the loss.

The Etta Express are back in action Wednesday (Apr. 11), when Capital visits Don Schaly Stadium for a 4 p.m. doubleheader. The games 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.