10th-ranked Marietta softball takes a pair from visiting Wooster
Carroll ties school record by hitting in 11 straight games

Mar. 29, 2006
MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team, with a freshly placed bull's eye on its back, took the field for a doubleheader against Wooster Wednesday (Mar. 29) afternoon at Marietta Field. The Pioneers, voted tenth in the first regular season National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll that was released earlier in the day, were not about to let down their guard against the Fighting Scots. Head Coach Jeanne Arbuckle's team took care of business by defeating Wooster 8-0 in five innings in game one and then won the nightcap 4-0.

With the pair of wins, Marietta improved to 17-1 overall and 2-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The Pioneers have now won 14 straight games. Wooster fell to 7-10-1 on the spring.

As has been the case throughout the young season, junior ace Kristen Quintana took the hill in the first game of the twinbill and had another dominating performance. Quintana allowed just two hits in her five innings of work to improve to 9-1 on the spring. The right-hander struck out 10 and did not walk a batter in the victory.

Quintana, who lowered her ERA to a remarkable 0.64, has allowed just 40 hits, struck out 78 and walked 13 in 65.1 innings of action this spring.

Marietta's bats totaled 11 hits and scored a pair of runs in the first, second, third and fifth innings in the first game.

Sophomore Brandy Jacob led off the bottom of the first with a triple, her third of the year. Sophomore Emily McComb drove her in with a sacrifice fly and reached on an error. Freshman Christina DeMoss' sacrifice fly delivered home junior Jenny Carroll with the second run of the game.

The Pioneers' two runs in the second came when junior Jessy Hutchison and Jacob scored on a throwing error on a ball hit by McComb.

In the third, DeMoss got things going with a one-out double to left center. She scored two hitters later when Hutchison came through with a RBI single up the middle. Hutchison would go on to score on another error.

Marietta completed its scoring in the fifth. Sophomore Krista Huffman singled through the right side with two outs. It was the first of five straight singles in the inning. Carroll and junior Lindsey Romick picked up RBIs in the final frame.

Overall, Jacob, Romick, Hutchison and Huffman all had a pair of hits. In addition, Jacob scored three runs, while Hutchison crossed the plate twice.

DeMoss was handed the ball for game two and had another solid performance. The right-hander scattered six hits en route to her second career shutout. DeMoss (6-0) struck out two and walked one in the victory.

Marietta's offense was relatively quiet until the fourth inning, when it finally gave DeMoss some run support. Freshman Nikki Driscoll singled with one out and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by DeMoss. Senior Stephanie Houston followed with a RBI double to left center to give MC a 1-0 advantage.

The Pioneers tacked three more runs on the board in the fifth. Carroll led off with a single and Romick drove her in with a double to left. Driscoll moved her to third with a sac bunt and then DeMoss laid down a perfect suicide squeeze to plate Romick. Houston was next to the plate and she singled up the middle. Freshman Courtney Reid pinch ran for Houston and quickly stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. Hutchison followed with a RBI single down the right field line to score Reid and complete the scoring.

Marietta finished with nine hits in game two Jacob, Carroll and Houston were all 2-for-3 in the win. Carroll has now hit safely in 11 straight games, which ties the school record.

The Pioneers return to action Saturday (Apr. 1) when they visit Ohio Northern for a 2 p.m. OAC doubleheader.