Marietta College splits with Mount Union in OAC clash
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MARIETTA --Wind gusts reaching 55 miles per hour altered the playing field for Saturday's Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader between Mount Union and 20th ranked Marietta College.
Any ball hit in the air was either wind-aided and took extra flight or became an adventure for fielders trying to make the routine putout. Baseball caps, sunglasses and anything not nailed down swirled throughout Don and Sue Schaly Field at Pioneer Park as the two teams combined for eight home runs and split their OAC opener.
Trailing 8-3 in Game 1, Mount Union scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning then plated two more runs in the ninth inning for a 10-9 win.
Marietta College countered with starting pitcher Trent Valentine in the nightcap, and for the most part the lefty kept the ball in the yard while limiting the Purple Raiders to three runs over six innings in a 14-4 victory.
"It was disappointing letting the first game get away, but we were able to bounce back," said Brett Carson, who went 3-for-4 with six runs batted in during Game 2 and was a double shy of the cycle. The senior, who pitched the final three innings for the save, hit two homers on the day.
"Our 330 fences felt like they were 315. But if you go out there thinking with the wind blowing out you have to hit it in the air, you are hurting yourself. Even (MC coach Brian Brewer) was telling us before the doubleheader, if you get pull-happy or try to hit home runs, that's when you are going to start rolling over or missing balls."
In the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 2 with MC leading 13-4, both Alex Richter and Carson had an opportunity to complete a personal cycle on successive at-bats. Richter, who finished 4-for-4 with a double, triple and a pair of RBIs, walked in his final at-bat. Carson popped out into an inning-ending double play.
Carson's homer was his fifth of the season, while Richter -- who didn't hit a homer during his high school career -- registered his fourth longball of 223.
"I have no idea where the power is coming from," said the Richter, who ended the twinbill 6-for-9 with four RBIs. "I swing a 32-inch bat which helps. I get a lot of hate for that. Most swing a 33 or a 34. Mine is a lot lighter. I feel I can hit the inside pitch a lot better.
"Today in the field with the weather conditions, coach Brewer told us to just get behind the baseball. I have never played in anything like it. I think my hat came off 10 times today."
Valentine, who struck out a season-high seven while matching his longest outing of the young season, improved to 2-0.
After allowing his first two homers of the year, he got payback in the home half of the eighth inning. He had stayed in the game to play center field and led off the frame with a solo blast.
Mount Union starting pitcher Brady Hansen (3-1) lasted four innings and allowed eight runs.
The Pioneers will take a 13-6 record to Wittenberg for a single game on Wednesday night. Regardless of Saturday's weather conditions, coach Brewer shared a deep laundry list with his players during a lengthy postgame meeting. The issues stemmed from both ends of the doubleheader,
"Obviously, we have to build on that second game -- we were better in Game 2 than we were in Game 1," Brewers said "We're still making critical mistakes. Baseball is a game about habits -- good ones and bad ones. And I have not instilled enough good habits in they guys, so we have to continue to grind.
"I don't care who we are playing, where we are playing, what the weather is -- we have to do things right all the time. We are not doing enough things right to be as consistent as we want to be."
Game 1 starter for MC, Kail Hill, allowed two runs in three innings of work. Zach Marzetz followed with one-run ball over 2 1/3 innings.
Mount Union then punished Gino Sabatine for five runs in one inning.
John Razzante, who led Mount Union at the plate by going 3-for-4 with four RBIs, hit a solo homer off Jacob Rocky (1-1) with the game tied at 8 in the top of the ninth inning. Later in in the frame, back-to-back doubles by Eric Schilling and Joe Lenart produced a second run.
With two outs in the home half of the ninth inning, Carson's solo home run cut the deficit to 10-9.
Ty Davis walked, but Mount Union reliever Chris Phillips (1-2) induced a pop out to end the game. Phillips pitched the final four innings and allowed just one run after starting pitcher Kaired Lehman was tagged for eight runs over five innings.
Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com