Photo by Kaylin Hildreth
Posted: Apr 12, 2022
WILMINGTON, Ohio – Marietta College held the Wilmington College softball team to three runs in two games as the Pioneers swept an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) twinbill from the Fightin' Quakers on Tuesday, taking game one 6-2 and game two 9-1 in five innings.
In game one, neither team scored for the first two innings. The Pioneers put together a two-out rally in the third. With two runners on, Taylor Airy hit a sharp single up the middle that hit second base scoring a run. The very next batter, Jillian Middleton, doubled to left field scoring another run. Trailing 2-0, it was the Quakers' turn to deliver a run with two outs as Lindsey Carter doubled down the left field line, scoring Judaea Wilson, who reached base via a Pioneer error.
Marietta blew the game open with another two-out hit in the top of the fourth. This one, off the bat of Rachel Kazmirski, traveled over the left field fence for a three-run home run. McKenna Archey would answer with an RBI-double to left scoring Rachel Berry in the bottom half of the inning, but the Pioneers would add an insurance run in the top of the seventh.
Amelia Timko earned the win, her second of the season, allowing two runs (one earned) on first hits in four innings. Middleton completed a three-run save by allowing one hit over the final three innings. Lindsey Carter dipped to 2-1 on the season allowing five runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings pitched. Hannah Hall and Madi Jursich finished the final 3.1 innings for WC, allowing a single run on five hits.
Offensively, Kazmirski, Paige Adams and Middleton had seven of the Pioneers' dozen hits with Kazmirski going 2-for-4 with three RBIs on the home run and two runs scored. Six Quakers had a hit in game one with Carter, Hadley and Archey notching doubles.
In game two, both teams scored a run in the first as Emma Burke hit an RBI-double for Marietta and Wilson scored on a wild pitch for Wilmington. A wild pitch on ball four scored the second Pioneers' run in the second, but a pair of fielder's choice outs left the bases loaded. the Quakers got two runners on with an out in the bottom of the inning, but consecutive strikeouts ended the threat. A scoreless inning for both sides followed, but the visitors plated four runs on just one hit in the top of the fourth, thanks in part to five walks, to take control. A three-run fifth ended the contest in five innings.
Middleton earned the five-inning win, striking out four with four walks and three hits while Izzy Rothrock took the loss for WC, allowing four earned runs with two strikeouts in three-plus innings. Jursich and Hall finished the game for the Quakers.
Kylie Daugherty was the lone individual to finish with two hits in game two, doing 2-for-2 with three RBIs, three runs scored and two walks. Wilson, Carter and Hadley all had singles for the Quakers while Wilson also stole a base.
Wilmington (9-9, 3-5 OAC) will look to bounce back at Capital University on Thursday (note the day change).
