Etta Express pick up 20th win with 13-3 victory over host Bethany
No. 30 Marietta returns to OAC play Saturday at John Carroll

Apr. 18, 2007
BETHANY, W.Va. — The No. 30 and reigning National Champion Marietta College baseball team stretched its win streak to a season-long six games and picked up its 20th win with a 13-3 victory at non conference foe Bethany (W.Va.) on Wednesday (Apr. 18) afternoon.

Junior Tony Piconke (Clinton Twp., Mich./Clintondale) clubbed his team-leading fifth home run of the year in the eighth inning to cap off a 13-run and 15-hit offensive, as the Etta Express improved to 20-7 overall. The Bison, meanwhile, fell to 7-16 on the spring.

Freshman Brian Hesson (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial), who made his second career appearance, earned the victory in relief. The right-hander, who improved to 1-0, allowed two hits, walked two and struck out two in 2 2/3 innings. Freshman Dave Van Voorhees (Bethesda, Md./Bullis) was given the start and gave up two runs on six hits while walking three, hitting another and striking out one in 3 1/3 innings.

Sophomore Pat Logan (Washington, Pa./Trinity) allowed one run on one hit, walked two and struck out two in the seventh inning, while freshman Sean Rainey (Granville) made the most of his Pioneer debut by throw a pair of shutout innings to close the game. Rainey did allow two hits and walked one.

Piconke (3-for-6, 3 R, 1 RBI) and freshman Jeremy Reese (Massillon/Washington) (3-for-5, 1 RBI) each finished with three hits in the game. In addition, junior Tom Doty (Mentor) was 2-for-3 with a home run, his first of the year, and a game-high four RBI, while freshman Mark Lakas (Westerville/Mason) had two hits in two at-bats off the bench for the Pioneers.

Marietta began its attack in the first inning. Sophomore Cameron Cimino (Boardman) drew a lead off walk and Piconke followed with a single through the left side. Doty worked a two-out walk three batters later to load the bases. Sophomore Brennan Cribbins (Middleburg Heights/Midpark) then drove in Cimino and Piconke with a single through the right side, senior Ryan Eschbaugh (Marietta) added a RBI single to left field and sophomore Justin Merryman (New Philadelphia) contributed a RBI single to right field to put the Pioneers up 4-0 after their first at-bat.

The Etta Express added to its lead in the second. Once again, Cimino began the inning with a walk and Piconke followed with a single. Senior Joe Litke (Windsor, Conn.) then walked to fill the bases. A walk to freshman Chris Beatty (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton) forced in Cimino, while a Doty single plated Piconke and Litke. The final run of the inning, Beatty, scored on a Cribbins' sacrifice fly and Marietta led 8-0 after just two innings.

Bethany got on the board after a walk, wild pitch and an error led to a run in the bottom of the third. The Bison scored another run in the fourth on an infield single.

Marietta answered with a two-run fifth. Merryman and Reese picked up RBI in the frame. Then, a two-run home run from Doty helped the Pioneers extend their lead to 12-2 after six innings.

The Bison scored their final run with a walk, wild pitch and a single in the bottom of the seventh. The Etta Express added its last run with the Piconke home run in the eighth.

Milton Joyner took the loss for Bethany after allowing eight runs on six hits in two innings. The Bison offense finished with 11 hits and four of its players had multiple-hit days in the loss. Both teams made one error.

Marietta is back in action Saturday (Apr. 21) when it travels to University Heights for an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader with host John Carroll University at 1 p.m. The Blue Streaks are 17-8 overall and 7-4 in the league after a twinbill sweep of Muskingum on Tuesday. 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.