Marietta softball drops two extra-inning games to John Carroll on Senior Day
Pioneers eliminated from OAC Tournament picture with 6-4 and 7-5 losses

April 26, 2008
MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College softball team had its goal of making a fourth straight Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament denied when visiting John Carroll University took game one of a doubleheader at Marietta Field Saturday (April 26) afternoon. The Blue Streaks outlasted the Pioneers 6-4 in 12 innings. The win, combined with Ohio Northern University’s sweep of Capital University, allowed John Carroll to secure the fourth and final seed in the upcoming OAC Tournament. The Blue Streaks then cemented their tournament hopes with a 7-5, 8-inning victory in the nightcap.

With the two losses, Marietta fell to 19-13, 9-9 in the OAC. John Carroll improved to 17-19, 11-7 in league play.

A home run from Jamie Smrdel gave John Carroll an early 1-0 lead in the fourth. Marietta freshman Cassady Busellato (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson) singled through the right side to plate junior Nikki Driscoll (Bellaire) and tie the game in the fifth.

The Blue Streaks regained the lead 2-1 when Kelly D’Amato doubled home a run in the seventh. The Pioneers kept their OAC Tournament hopes alive when freshman Ashley Eberhardt (Massillon/Tuslaw) connected on a two-out, pinch-hit solo shot to left center field in the bottom of the frame, which sent the game into extra innings.

John Carroll plated a pair of unearned runs to take a 4-2 advantage in the top of the 11th. Again, Marietta prolonged the game in dramatic fashion, as junior Erin Faulkner (Wheelersburg) clubbed a two-run home run to right center to knot the game at 4-4.

The Blue Streaks struck for two more unearned runs in the top of the 12th, and the Pioneers could not muster another comeback, as John Carroll held on for the 6-4 victory.

Both teams finished with eight hits in the game; Marietta committed four errors, while John Carroll made just one. Sophomore Katie Woolf (Louisville) and Busellato both had a pair of hits in the loss. Tricia Kuenzig also had two hits for the Blue Streaks.

Faulkner was the tough-luck loser and fell to 12-7. She allowed six runs (two earned) on eight hits, walked seven and struck out eight in 12 innings. Ashley Lippert earned the win after pitching five innings of relief. Lippert (5-6) allowed two unearned runs on two hits and fanned one. Sam Thompson started the game and gave up two runs on six hits, walked one and struck out seven.

Marietta jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the nightcap when freshman Kristen Tidd (Marietta/Frontier) singled home Driscoll, who led off the second frame with a walk.

John Carroll went ahead with two runs on three hits in the top of the third. Marietta came right back by loading the bases before Faulkner drove in two runs with a single through the right side, giving her team a 3-2 lead.

The Pioneers added an insurance run when Woolf drove in Jacob with a single to center in the fourth. Another Woolf single plated junior Emily McComb (Gnadenhutten/Indian Valley) in the sixth, giving Marietta a 5-2 advantage.

John Carroll loaded the bases and scored a run on a walk in the top of the seventh. A single by Bethany Bachman drove in another run, pulling the Blue Streaks within a run. A two-out single by Angela Vistocco drove in the tying run and knocked freshman starter Amanda Strong (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) out of the game after 6 2/3 innings. Faulkner entered and induced a ground out to get out of the jam with the score tied 5-5.

In the eighth, the Blue Streaks took advantage of three Pioneer errors to score two runs and take the lead for good, 7-5.

Strong allowed five runs on 10 hits while walking five and striking out three in the no decision. Faulkner, who took the loss again, fell to 12-8 after allowing two unearned runs on one hit in 1 1/3 innings. Lippert came in to work the final two innings and earn her second win of the day to improve to 6-6.

John Carroll out hit Marietta 11-9 in the second game. Julie Marlowe, Staci Ziobert and Kelly D’Amato all had two hits for the Blue Streaks. Marietta’s offense was led by Woolf, who had three hits, while McComb added two hits in the loss.