Lady Pioneers open OAC play with sweep of No. 11 Purple Raiders
Marietta win streak hits 12 games

Mar. 27, 2006
ALLIANCE, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team opened Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play at Mount Union Monday (Mar. 27). The Purple Raiders, the 11th ranked team in the nation, were the Pioneer’s biggest test of the young season. Marietta, however, proved up to the challenge, and left Alliance with a pair of victories, 7-1 & 7-3, to extend its win streak to 12 games.

The Pioneers (15-1, 2-0 OAC) fell behind in the first inning of game one, as Mount Union’s (10-4, 0-2 OAC) Cortney Frederick worked a walk from Marietta’s Kristen Quintana. It was Quintana’s first walk in 25 innings and her only of the game. Frederick eventually scored on a one-out single to give the home Raiders a 1-0 lead.

Marietta threatened to score in each of the first four innings, before finally tying the game in the fifth frame. Junior Lindsey Romick’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded plated sophomore Brandy Jacob, who reached on a fielder’s choice.

The Pioneers took the lead for good with a six-run sixth inning to capture complete control of the game. Freshman Christina DeMoss opened with a double to left field before being lifted for pinch runner, Jessica Fleming. Fleming advanced to third on a fly out by senior Sue Schwamberger and then scored on a RBI single, off the bat of junior Jessy Hutchison. Sophomore Krista Huffman then sacrificed Hutchison over to second base and Hutchison later scored on a double by Jacob.

Jacob’s double knocked Mount Union starter Lindsey Royer out of the game. Freshman Emily McComb greeted the new pitcher with a single, and then senior Jenny Carroll reached on an error to keep the inning alive. Romick made the error hurt when she drilled a ball over the fence in left field for a three-run home run to make the score 7-1.

Quintana shut down the Raiders over the last two innings to secure Marietta’s victory. Quintana, who improved to 8-1 on the year, scattered six hits and struck out three in the win.

Marietta’s offense pounded out 11 hits in game one. McComb finished 3-for-4, while Romick had a pair of hits and four RBI.

The Pioneers carried the momentum from the game-one victory into the second contest. Marietta struck first this time, scoring a run in the top of the first. Jacob led off by reaching base on a wild pitch after striking out. She was then moved over to second by McComb’s sacrifice bunt and then to third on a single by Carroll. Freshman Nikki Driscoll picked up the RBI with a single to left to give MC the 1-0 lead.

Marietta increased its lead to 5-0 with a four-run third inning. McComb and Carroll led off with back-to-back singles and, Romick followed by reaching on a fielder’s choice that forced McComb out at third. A Driscoll single loaded the bases for DeMoss, who followed with a single to score Carroll. Schwamberger then delivered a two-run single to left center. DeMoss capped the inning’s scoring by crossing the plate on a wild pitch.

Mount Union’s bats finally awoke in the sixth inning, when Amanda Yackmack connected on a three-run home run off DeMoss to pull the Raiders within two runs, 5-3. Quintana, however, replaced DeMoss and retired three straight to end any further threat.

The Pioneers added two insurance runs in the seventh, when DeMoss and Hutchison each picked up RBI singles and the Raiders could not put together a rally in the seventh off Quintana, giving Marietta the 7-3 victory and a doubleheader sweep.

DeMoss (5-0) threw five innings to pick up the win. She gave up six hits and walked four, while Quintana finished with three strikeouts in the final two innings.

Marietta collected 12 hits, while Mount Union has seven. Driscoll and Carroll each had three-hit games, while DeMoss and Schwamberger finished with a pair of singles.

The Pioneers will return to action Wednesday (Mar. 29) when they take on Wooster at 3 p.m. at Marietta Field.