Marietta baseball closes regular season with 7-3 loss to visting Thiel (Pa.)
Etta Express opens OAC Tournament play Thursday against Otterbein in Tiffin

May 6, 2007
MARIETTA, Ohio — The National Champion Marietta College baseball team wrapped up its regular season with a 7-3 loss to Thiel (Pa.) College Sunday (May 6) afternoon at Don Schaly Stadium. The loss drops the No. 30 Etta Express to 28-12 on the year, while the Tomcats improved to 27-13.

Both teams collected 11 hits and Marietta, who left nine runners on base, committed four errors in the game. It was the first time in three meetings that Thiel, led by 1986 Marietta graduate Joe Schaly, defeated the Pioneers on the diamond.

Marietta held an early 2-0 advantage in the game. Senior Ryan Eschbaugh (Marietta) opened the first inning with a single. Sophomore Cameron Cimino (Boardman) followed with another single. Eschbaugh was erased at third on a Tony Piconke (Clinton Twp., Mich./Clintondale) fielder’s choice. Freshman then Mark Lakas (Westerville/Marion) loaded the bases with a single. A Don Pugliese (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) sacrifice fly drove in Cimino. Freshman Jeremy Reese (Massillon/Washington) followed with a single to left center, plating Piconke with the second run of the game.

Thiel tied the game at 2-2 in the second. David Nypaver led off with a single against Marietta starter Dave Van Voorhees (Bethesda, Md./Bullis), and Chris Dunham followed with a two-run home run to left field.

The Tomcats then took the lead, 5-2, with a three-run third. Nypaver had a big three-run double down the right field line against freshman Tyler Penwell (Washington Court House), who replaced Van Voorhees to start the inning.

Thiel increased its lead to 6-2 in the fifth, when David Diyorio had a RBI single with two outs.

Marietta cut into the lead in the bottom of the seventh. After a double play erased a single from senior pinch hitter Joe Litke (Windsor, Conn.), Cimino walked and Piconke singled through the right side. Lakas then delivered a RBI single to center. Cimino scored to make the score 6-3.

The Tomcats got a run back against junior reliever Derek Cummings (Tuscarawas/Indian Valley) in the eighth to increase their lead to 7-3 and that is how it ended.

Van Voorhees allowed two runs on three hits, walked one and struck out one in two innings. Penwell, who took the loss to fall to 2-4, was tagged for four runs (three earned) on five hits. He walked two and struck out four in two 2/3 innings. Freshman Nate Eschbaugh (Marietta) followed Penwell with a perfect two 1/3 innings, striking out one. Cummings allowed one run on three hits in two innings.

Thiel's ace Eric Wasowsky earned the win to improve to 7-3 after scattering three runs on 11 hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out five. Nick Durkin worked the final two frames and did not allow a hit while walking one and fanning two.

Piconke finished 3-for-5 in the loss and improved his average to a team-high .380. He also leads the team in home runs (7), doubles (12), runs scored (38), stolen bases (12) and RBI (29). Lakas added two hits in four at-bats.

Nypaver paced the Tomcats' offense with a 4-for-5 day at the plate, while Diyorio and Andrew Howard had two hits in the win.

The Pioneers return to action Thursday (May 11) at the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament, which will be hosted by top-seeded Heidelberg College. Marietta, the second seed, will open the tournament against third-seeded Otterbein at 1 p.m. Heidelberg and fourth-seeded Capital will follow at 4 p.m. The action will be carried live by WMOA-AM 1490. It can also be heard online at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/onlinebroadcasts.html.