No. 16 Lady Pioneers blank Cardinals twice in first OAC softball doubleheader of spring
Marietta plays host to rival Muskingum Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.

March 31, 2007
WESTERVILLE, Ohio — The No. 16 Marietta College softball team withstood the rain drops Saturday (March 31) afternoon to sweep an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) doubleheader from host Otterbein College. The Lady Pioneers backed up two shutout performances with three home runs en route to 5-0 and 3-0 victories.

The sweep improved Marietta's record to 17-3 overall and 2-0 in the OAC. Otterbein fell to 9-5, 0-2 in league play.

Senior Kristen Quintana (Denver, Colo./Littleton), who was making her 94th career appearance, picked up her 50th career win and 21st career shutout in the opener. The right-hander, who improved to 11-1, scattered five hits, walked one and struck out 10 in the victory. Quintana also struck out her 500th career batter in the win.

Marietta out-hit Otterbein 9-5 in the game. The Cardinals had two errors, while the Pioneers had one.

Sophomore Erin Faulkner (Wheelersburg) led off the third inning with a home run to right center, her first of the season, to give MC a 1-0 lead. Faulkner also drove in the second run with a single in the fourth, scoring sophomore Christina DeMoss (Bellville/Clear Fork), who opened the frame with a double.

Senior Lindsey Romick (Hannibal/River) smashed her first home run of the year and the sixth of her career to increase Marietta's lead to 3-0 in the fifth.

Junior Brandy Jacob (Wellington/Keystone) added a RBI double in the sixth to make it 4-0.

Marietta capped the scoring in the seventh, but not before a two-hour rain delay. Senior Jessy Hutchison (Reynoldsburg) singled home Romick, who began the inning with a single.

Romick finished 2-for-3, while both DeMoss and Faulkner were 2-for-4 in the win.

DeMoss rebounded from a tough outing Friday against Kenyon by throwing four shutout innings to earn the win in the nightcap. The right-hander allowed two hits, walked two and struck out two to improve to 5-1 on the season.

Quintana worked the final three innings, did not allow a hit and struck out five to earn the save. It was her school record-tying 95th career appearance. Quintana now has 512 career strikeouts, 79 shy of the school record.

Marietta, who out-hit Otterbein 8-2 in the game, took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and 2-0 lead in the third inning, when sophomore Emily McComb (Gnadenhutten/Indian Valley), who finished 2-for-2, singled and scored on an error in both frames.

The Pioneers closed out the scoring in the sixth, when sophomore Nikki Driscoll (Bellaire) hit her first home run of the season.

Marietta returns home to gear up for a key OAC showdown with rival No. 20 Muskingum on Tuesday (Apr. 3) afternoon. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 3:30 p.m.