Marietta knocks off #9 Heidelberg 8-4 in OAC Tournament
Pioneers await the winner of the loser's bracket in Saturday's championship game

May 9, 2008
TIFFIN, Ohio — The top two seeds in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament went head-to-head in the second round on Friday (May 9) morning in Peaceful Valley. On the line was a trip to championship day, where the winner would await which ever team could make it out of Friday’s loser’s bracket. The second-seeded Marietta College baseball team continued its quest for an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament with an 8-4 victory over top-seeded and #9 Heidelberg College.

The victory improved the Etta Express to 23-18 and was the third straight over Heidelberg, who fell to 34-8 on the year and will now take on the winner of the Otterbein College versus Mount Union College game later this afternoon. The OAC Tournament championship will begin on Saturday (May 10) afternoon at 12 p.m.

Marietta out-hit Heidelberg, who snapped an 11-game win streak, 12-10 in the game. The Pioneers, who played error-free baseball, left nine runners on base. The Student Princes stranded seven in the loss.

Marietta plated a pair of runs on four hits in the second to take a 2-0 lead. Sophomore Danny Jones (Lima/Shawnee) led off with a single up the middle and move to second on a balk. Freshman Tom DeAngelis (Moon Township, Pa.) followed with another single to advance Jones to third. Sophomore Tyler Penwell (Washington Court House) then reached on a fielder’s choice, which drove in Jones. Junior Josh Spicer (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) then drove in Penwell with a single to left center.

DeAngelis came through with a one-out single to left to score senior Dom Winters (Washington, Pa.) and Jones and extend the lead to 4-0. Winters drew a leadoff walk and Jones reached on a single. Junior Brennan Cribbins (Middleburg Heights/Midpark) made it 5-0 when he singled home DeAngelis later in the frame.

Heidelberg got on the board with four runs on three hits in the bottom of the third to cut into Marietta’s lead, 5-4. The Pioneers got one run back in the fourth when freshman Britt Meador (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) singled and scored when Spicer reached on a two-out error.

The Etta Express added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Senior Tony Piconke (Clinton Township, Mich./Clintondale) and Jones both drove in a run with singles.

Marietta junior Chris Stewart (Dublin/Coffman) got the start and worked the first 4 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits and finished with one walk and one strikeout. Sophomore Nate Eschbaugh (Marietta) threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and two walks, and improved to 3-0 on the spring. Junior Justin Merryman (New Philadelphia) came in to retire three straight in the ninth; he got the final out with a strikeout to secure the 8-4 win.

David Paddock (5-3) took the loss. He gave up seven runs on 10 hits while walking three and striking out four in 8 1/3 frames. Steve Calevro recorded the final two outs but not before he allowed one run on two hits. Calevro also walked two and struck out one.

Jones and Cribbins both finished the afternoon 3-for-5 with a RBI; Jones also scored two runs. Meador and DeAngelis added a pair of hits each in the victory. Jeremy Wentworth, Andrew Buelow and Cody James all had two hits for Heidelberg.

Notes: The Pioneers won their first two games in the OAC Tournament for the first time since 2004, which took place at Don Schaly Stadium...All of Marietta's OAC Tournament games can be heard live locally in Marietta on WMOA-AM 1490 and over the Internet at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/onlinebroadcasts.html. A recap of all of the OAC Tournament games can be found at http://www.heidelberg.edu/athletics/teams/mbaseball/oac08