#17 Marietta rallies past #7 Texas-Tyler 6-5
Levens hits third home run of the season

March 9, 2009
ABILENE, Texas — Two of the nation’s top NCAA Division III baseball teams went head-to-head under the lights at Walt Driggers Field Monday (March 9) night on the campus of McMurry University during day one of the Abilene Classic. #17 Marietta College plated three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to complete the comeback and knock off #7 Texas-Tyler. The Pioneers’ improved their record to 3-0, while the Patriots fell to 14-4.

Texas-Tyler scored a run against Marietta senior T.J. Knowlton (Mapleton/Greenwich) in its first at-bat of the game. Marietta answered in its half of the first frame when senior third baseman Cameron Cimino (Boardman) drilled a one-out, two-run home run to right center field. Senior right fielder Justin Merryman (New Philadelphia), who doubled, scored on the home run, Cimino’s first of the season.

The Pioneers extended their lead to 3-1 an inning later when sophomore center fielder John Snyder (Altoona, Pa.) led off the frame with a double and then scored on a RBI double off the bat of senior second baseman Josh Spicer (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland).

Knowlton held the high-powered Patriot bats quiet until the sixth when they plated a pair of runs on back-to-back doubles to tie the game at 3-3. Texas-Tyler then recaptured the advantage, 5-3, by scoring a pair of runs, one earned, off senior reliever Chris Stewart (Dublin/Coffman) in the top of the eighth.

Marietta used a three-run bottom of the eighth to reclaim the lead 6-5. The Pioneers scored the first run with out the help of a hit, as Merryman and Cimino led off with back-to-back walks. A balk advanced the runners to second and third before Merryman crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Junior Casey Levens (Dayton/Centerville) then deposited a pitch over the left field fence for a two-run home run, his third of the year, giving Marietta the one-run lead.

Stewart returned to the mound looking to close out the game in the ninth. Texas-Tyler threatened by getting a runner to third base with one out, but he kept the Patriots from scoring to preserve the 6-5 victory.

Stewart (2-0) earned the win after allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits in three innings. He walked one and struck out one. Knowlton, who made his second start of the year, scattered three runs on eight hits while striking out three over six innings.

Bo Ziegler suffered the loss, falling to 1-1. He gave up two runs on two hits in one inning.

Texas-Tyler out hit Marietta 14-8 and the Pioneers made the lone error in the game. Snyder finished 2-for-4, while Cimino and Levens both had one hit and two RBI.

Five different Patriots had multiple hits in the loss. They were led by Jared Hood, who went 4-for-5.

The Pioneers are back in action on Tuesday (March 10) afternoon when they visit Abilene Christian University, who is ranked #3 in NCAA Division II. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. Marietta will also visit McMurry University on Tuesday night. That match-up is set for 8 p.m.

Marietta baseball fans can once again follow all of the action during the 2009 season when John Wharff and Mark Bradley broadcast each game on WMOA-AM 1490. The games can also be heard online at http://pioneers.marietta.edu/onlinebroadcasts.html. Live stats will be available at http://livestats.internetconsult.com/mcmurry/baseball/.