Etta Express eliminated from NCAA Division III World Series with 9-3 loss to SUNY-Cortland
Marietta finishes the season 32-17

May 26, 2007
APPLETON, Wis. — There will be a new champion in NCAA Division III Baseball. Defending National Champion Marietta College dropped its second game of the eight-team championship tournament Saturday (May 26) afternoon. The Etta Express, who won the World Series in 1981, 1983, 1986 and 2006, finished the season with a 9-3 loss to SUNY-Cortland at Fox Cities Stadium.

The Pioneers, a squad that few thought would get this far, closed the year 32-17. The Red Dragons improved to 41-6 and advanced to play Sunday afternoon.

Cortland struck first, scoring two runs off sophomore Justin Merryman (New Philadelphia) in the first inning. A lead off walk and wild pitch were followed by a single to center; the Red Dragon runner came around to score when the throw trickled past Pioneer freshman catcher Danny Jones (Lima/Shawnee). The next hitter delivered a RBI double to make the score 2-0.

Marietta scored its first run of the game in the second frame. Freshman Kristian DeJeet (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) singled up the middle with one out. Senior Joe Litke (Windsor, Conn.) followed with a single to right center. DeJeet raced to third. Junior Dom Winters (Washington, Pa.) then picked up the RBI, as he reached on a fielder’s choice.

As had been the case in each of the previous three trips to Fox Cities Stadium, weather impacted one of Marietta’s games at the World Series. A storm came through at 3:26 p.m. and delayed the action in the middle of the fourth for one hour and 50 minutes. Each team went in order following the delay.

The Pioneers, however, took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Senior Ryan Eschbaugh (Marietta) doubled down the left field line with one out and then raced around to score on a single up the middle from junior Tony Piconke (Clinton Twp., Mich./Clintondale). Freshman Mark Lakas (Westerville/Mason) then followed with a pinch-hit single to drive in Piconke and give Marietta a 3-2 advantage. The RBI single by Lakas forced George Jweid out of the game. He was charged with three runs on nine hits with one walk and two strikeouts in four 2/3 innings.

The Red Dragons came right back with a run on a fielder’s choice in the sixth to tie the game at 3-3.

Freshman Nate Eschbaugh (Marietta) replaced Merryman on the hill in the seventh and allowed a one-out home run to left center, giving Cortland a 4-3 lead. The Red Dragons then got to Eschbaugh for three runs with one out in the eighth to increase its advantage to 7-3, before freshman Tyler Penwell (Washington Court House) entered to strike out the next two hitters.

Cortland added two more insurance run in the top of the ninth off Penwell, before sophomore Don Pugliese (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) came in to get a double play after allowing one hit and one walk to end the top of the ninth.

Marietta could not mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth and was thus eliminated.

Merryman allowed three runs on four hits, walked three and struck out two in six innings. Eschbaugh, who took the loss to finish the year 5-3, gave up four runs on five hits and walked one in one 1/3 innings. Penwell allowed two runs on three hits and struck out two in one inning.

Nick Serio (3-1) earned the win with four 1/3 innings of relief. He allowed just one hit and struck out one.

Cortland out-hit Marietta 13-10 and the Etta Express made the only error of the game. Four Red Dragons collected two hits in the win. Piconke went 3-for-4, while Eschbaugh was 2-for-5.