Lady PIoneers swept by No. 18 Purple Raiders
Marietta looks to get back on track Saturday at Baldwin-Wallace

April 9, 2008
ALLIANCE, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team suffered a pair of Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) road losses at No. 18 Mount Union Wednesday (April 9) afternoon. The Purple Raiders won game one 7-2 and then got a walk-off hit to win the nightcap 3-2. The losses drop Marietta’s record to 12-10 overall and 2-6 in the OAC. The Pioneers have now lost six straight OAC games. Mount Union improves to 25-3 overall and 8-0 in the OAC.

Junior Erin Faulkner (Wheelersburg) was credited with the loss in game one. Faulkner (7-5) pitched six innings, giving up seven runs (five earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Lindsey Royer earned the win for the Purple Raiders, improving her record to 15-2.

After a scoreless first two innings, Mount Union exploded for five runs in the bottom of the third to take control of game one. Katie Olive and Meghan Simons both homered in the inning. Mount Union added two unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth to stretch its lead to 7-0. The Pioneers got on the board in the final stanza with two runs in the seventh. A Maggie Daubenmire (Thornville/Lakewood Hebron) triple plated two runs to make the final score 7-2.

Faulkner led the Pioneers offensively with two hits, while Daubenmire's triple produced to the only two RBI for Marietta in the loss.

Marietta struck first in game two. Sophomore Katie Woolf (Louisville) used a sacrifice fly to bring in junior Emily McComb (Gnadenhutten/Indian Valley), who singled earlier in the inning. Marietta led 1-0 after the first inning.

Mount Union tied the game at 1-1 in the second when Olive belted her second home run of the day. Marietta responded with a run in the third. McComb led off the inning with a double and and advanced to third on a ground out. Woolf again used a sacrifice fly to bring home McComb and help Marietta reclaim the 2-1 advantage. Mount Union came right back with a run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the score at 2-2.

The score remained tied at two until the bottom of the seventh. Megan Palombaro led off the inning with a double. Megan Polifrone was then brought in to pinch run for Palombaro. Polifrone advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Meghan Allen then singled home Polifrone with the winning run and gave Mount Union the 3-2 victory.

Freshman Amanda Strong (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) suffered with the loss, dropping her record to 5-3. Strong gave up three runs on seven hits in 6 1/2 innings. She walked three and struck out five. Royer (16-2) also got the win in the second game after pitching the final 1 2/3 innings of relief.

McComb was the only Pioneer with two hits in the nightcap; she also scored both runs. Woolf had a hit and two RBI, both off of sacrifice flies.

Marietta will stay on the road over the weekend as it travels to Baldwin-Wallace for a doubleheader on Saturday (April 12). First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.