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ALLIANCE -- Marietta College picked up two more Ohio Athletic Conference softball wins Tuesday afternoon with a sweep at the University of Mount Union. The Pioneers took the first game by the score of 4-3 and then won game two, 5-1.
Marietta, winners of 10 straight games, improves to 13-5 overall and 4-0 in the OAC. The Pioneers are off to their best start in conference play since starting 4-0 in 2013. Mount Union falls to 15-5 on the season and 2-2 in the OAC.
Rachel Kazmirski got the Pioneer offense started with a solo home run in the top of the first inning in game one. The Purple Raiders took advantage of a Marietta error to score a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the second. The Pioneers trailed until the fifth inning when Marietta struck for three runs. Haylee Mott reached on a one-out single and was lifted for pinch runner, Jordan Cholley. Singles from Jillian Strecansky and Taylor Watts loaded the bases with one out.
Marietta leadoff hitter Shelby Metzger lined a single to left scoring Cholley and Strecansky. Watts later scored on an infield single from Kazmirski giving the Pioneers a 4-2 lead.
Mount Union pushed one run across in the bottom of the seventh and left two runners on base when the game ended.
Jillian Middleton (7-3) got the win in relief of starting pitcher Amelia Timko. Timko gave up two unearned runs on two hits in 3.1 innings. Middleton worked the final 3.2 innings and allowed one run on two hits.
Kendyll Cahill (9-2) went the distance in the circle for Mount Union and was charged with four runs, two earned, on seven hits. She struck out 11 Pioneers.
Kazmirski and Watts each had two hits for the Pioneers.
Middleton got her second win of the day in game two improving her pitching record to 8-3 on the season. She threw 3.1 innings and gave up one run on two hits. Kazmirski started and threw 1.2 innings giving up just one hit and walking four.
The Pioneers broke a scoreless tie with a run in the fifth inning. Jess Brown walked and was replaced by Cholley. Taylor Airy bunted her to second and Mott followed with an RBI double to right center.
Middleton delivered the big blow with a three-run home run in the sixth. Metzger and Camryn Campbell both singled ahead of Middleton's bomb over the fence in left field.
The Purple Raiders got one run back in the bottom of sixth only to see Marietta get the run back in the seventh on an RBI double from Campbell. Middleton retired Mount Union in order in the bottom of the seventh for the win.
Campbell had three hits to lead the Pioneer offense. Metzger had two hits and Middleton drove in three runs with the home run.
Marietta hosts Baldwin Wallace University on Friday. The first game of the doubleheader is set to begin at 1 p.m.