Damian Yenzi homers 4 times as Pioneers sweep Princes
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Suffice it to say senior third baseman Damian Yenzi did more than his fair share to help No. 1 Marietta College sweep Friday's Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader against Heidelberg University at Pioneer Park by scores of 16-4 and 10-8.
The Keystone State product from North Hills became the 10th Pioneer to launch three bombs in a game. He went 5 for 5 with eight runs-batted-in, a double and three taters in the opener. In game two, he finished 4 for 5 with four more RBIs and also blasted his sixth round-tripper.
"It was a great day," admitted Yenzi, who helped the Pioneers tie a school record with seven home runs in game one, which also happened in 2009 against Franklin (Ind.).
"I kind of got out of my routine a little bit. I had a 9 a.m. class I had to go to. I showed up to the field a little bit late and just tried to get some extra swings in whenever I could during their BP and the rest is history I guess."
Yenzi's solo bomb gave MC (27-3, 9-1) a 1-0 lead in the first. He had a two-run homer in the fifth, smacked his 18th double that drove in two in the sixth and then drilled a three-run jack in the seventh.
"They gave me a lot of good pitches and they were working me in," added Yenzi, who watched Drew Holderbach go yard twice, Brett Carson get an inside-the-park homer as well as pinch-hitter Alex Page going deep in the eighth on a solo shot for the team's seventh dinger.
"I was taking what I could get. I was just trying to put good swings on the ball. Our lineup is full of a bunch of guys who can absolutely swing it. My approach at the plate this year has just been get on base."
Catcher Logan Vietmeier's RBI knock to center in the third plated Yenzi, who reached on an infield single, to give head man Brian Brewer's club a 2-0 lead. In the fourth, Student Prince first baseman Eric DeVore had a solo home run and after a Camden Farley double, Seth Scoville's ground-rule double tied it.
However, the Pioneers scored four runs in the fifth, six in the sixth and three in the seventh to win going away. Trent Valentine (8-0) didn't factor in the decision for MC after he went 3 2-3 innings. Former Marietta Tiger Isaac Danford (3-1) recorded five outs for the mound triumph and fellow orange and black teammate Kail Hill worked a clean ninth with two punchouts. Starter Ross Thompson (2-3) was saddled with the loss after working five innings and being charged with three earned runs. He walked none and struck out four.
Heidelberg (12-14, 4-6) got to Pioneer game two starter Brett Carson for a pair of runs in the second and knocked him out after a three-run third. Farley, who finished 4 for 5, had a solo homer in the first and Keaton Mark scored following his single on a Scoville run-scoring single. Mark had the web gem of the day when he robbed Holderbach of extra bases in the eighth thanks to a leaping grab on the warning track in the gap after a full sprint.
Turner Hill, also a Marietta High graduate, walked to open the home half of the first and Yenzi promptly hit a no-doubter to left to tie it. Holderbach doubled and crossed on Trent Castle's RBI fielder's choice to make it 3-2.
Alex Richter singled and was sacrificed by Matthew Busby in the second. After Hill reached on a bunt single, Yenzi came through with an RBI infield single. Hill later came home on a double-steal.
The lead didn't last long as the Student Princes tied it with a three-run third. Scoville knocked in Devore, who had a one-out double, and Thomas Sauer had a two-run double.
Hill, who went 3 for 4, opened the fourth with a single back up the box and put the hosts ahead for good when he scored on the first of three Vietmeier RBIs. Holderbach made the score 7-5 when he came home on an error.
Sauer's solo home run to left in the sixth was answered by a Vietmeier RBI that plated Yenzi in the home half of the frame. Yenzi collected his 12th RBI of the day in the seventh and Vietmeier's opposite-field blast in the eighth capped the scoring for the Pioneers, who had 18 hits in each game. Farley and Mark each knocked in a run in the eighth.
Griffin Malick improved to 5-0 after following Carson with three innings of four-hit ball that included four strikeouts. Sam Mathews, who fired 2 2-3 innings with three punchouts in the opener, earned his ninth save in game two by tossing the final three innings. Brady Knizner (3-4) took the loss after going five innings and allowing six earned runs with two walks and five strikeouts.
Marietta College returns to action with a 4 p.m Wednesday doubleheader when Mount Union invades.