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Marietta College smacked a pair of grand slams as the Pioneers beat Otterbein University in the first game, 12-4 in six innings, Thursday afternoon in Ohio Athletic Conference softball.
Otterbein won game two by the same score.
The Cardinals grabbed an early lead with three runs in the top of the second inning, but Marietta answered with five runs in the third. Kylie Daugherty lined an RBI double into the left-center gap and then Jess Brown launched a grand slam way over the fence in left a 5-3 Pioneer lead.
Otterbein (15-5, 4-2 OAC) cut the deficit in half with a run in the fifth inning. Megan Payne delivered an RBI double scoring Sage Jenkins, who doubled to start the inning.
Brown delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth extending the lead to 7-4.
Marietta (9-11, 3-3 OAC) loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth. Paige Adams walked, Taylor Watts reached on a fielder's choice and Rachel Kazmirski singled to load the bases. Jillian Middelton deposited a 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence for another Marietta grand slam.
With the score 11-4, Emma Burke launched a walk-off solo home run to left-center giving Marietta the 12-4 win.
Middleton (8-4) got the win and pitched five innings. She allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Ashton Helmke pitched an inning and gave up one hit, two walks and struck out one.
Jess Gunter (6-3) started in the circle for Otterbein and was tagged with the loss after allowing 12 runs, eight earned, on 10 hits. She walked four and struck out two in 4 2/3 innings. Haylee Ternovan faced one batter and induced a double play.
Middleton went 3 for 4 at the plate with a home run and four RBIs. Brown had two hits and drove in six runs. Kazmirski and Burke also had two hits in the game for Marietta.
Game two started out the same as game one. Otterbein went on top 3-0 in the top of the first. Caroline Heller and Taylor Baran each had RBI singles.
Marietta took the lead with four runs in the home half of the second inning. Watts had an RBI single through the right side of the infield and Daugherty lined a three-run double to the wall in center field.
The score remained 4-3 in favor of the Pioneers until the fifth inning when the Cardinals plated four runs. Otterbein added five more in the sixth and then retired the Pioneers in the bottom of the frame for the 12-4 victory.
Helmke (0-2) started and took the loss for Marietta. She gave up three runs on four hits and struck out a pair in one inning. Amelia Timko allowed four runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings and Middleton was charged with four runs on two hits in her one inning. Sarah Keating gave up one run on one hit in a third of an inning.