MARIETTA, Ohio (March 19) – The Saint Vincent baseball team dropped both ends of a non-conference doubleheader at Marietta College, ranked #1 in the most recent D3Baseball.com national poll.
In the opener, the Pioneers (12-2) scored nine unanswered runs over the final three innings en route to a 17-5 win over the Bearcats (4-6), before the hosts did the bulk of their damage in the middle innings of their 13-4 win in the nightcap
GAME ONE - #1 Marietta 17, Saint Vincent 5
In the day's first game, the hosts jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings of play, but the Bearcats answered right back with a big top of the fourth inning.
After Julian Santana started things with a single to center, Jordan Sabol followed with a triple into the right-center gap to cut the deficit to 4-1. Zach Barberich then drew a walk, before TJ Dailey smashed an opposite-field home run to clear the bases and tie the game at 4-4. Billy Perroz was then the fifth straight batter to reach safely, smacking a single to left, and two batters, later, he was plated on a double to center field by Ben Menarchek to give SVC a 5-4 lead.
The Pioneers answered right back in a big way in the bottom of the fourth, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring five runs to jump back in front, 9-4.
The Bearcats were unable to replicate their long rally in the fourth, managing just two base runners and zero runs over the final three innings. Marietta's bats stayed hot, scoring four runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to pull away.
Santana, Sabol and Perroz each had two hits for SVC, with Santana and Perroz each doubling. Casey Jones started and took the loss on the mound, allowing eight runs on nine hits with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings of work.
Zach Boyd and Drew Holderbach each went 4-for-5 for the Pioneers, who racked 10 extra-base hits, including two triples by Boyd. Isaac Danford, the third of five pitchers for Marietta, earned the win.
GAME TWO - #1 Marietta 13, Saint Vincent 4
Saint Vincent drew first blood in the nightcap, manufacturing a run to take an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Santana again set the table with a lead-off single, promptly stole second base and scored on a two-out, RBI single from Dailey to left center.
The Pioneers answered with two runs in the bottom of the first and one more in the second to take a 3-1 lead, before the Bearcats plated one in the top of the fourth when Dailey tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly from Perroz to make it 3-2.
As was the case in the opener, the Pioneers pulled away in the middle innings, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth and five in the fifth to open up a 12-2 lead.
The Bearcats closed out their scoring in the top of the sixth. With one out, Sabol was hit by a pitch and Barberich doubled, putting runners on second and third. Dailey stayed hot, cracking a single to right to score Barberich, before an RBI groundout from Perroz scored Barberich for SVC's fourth run.
The Pioneers added one run in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out double to account for the game's final score.
Daily accounted for three of SVC's five hits in the game, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
Jeremy Kruezweiser started and took the loss, allowing seven runs (four earned) on nine hits with three strikeouts in four innings of work.
Brett Carson worked five innings to earn the win for Marietta, scattering two runs on three hits with seven K's. Turner Hill paced the Pioneer offense, going 4-for-5 with a homer, double and four RBIs.
The Bearcats will now have a week off before returning to action against another nationally ranked opponent, as they open up the Presidents' Athletic Conference schedule with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Washington & Jefferson on Saturday, March 26.
