Marietta College Game 1 starting pitcher Austin Ziance delivers a pitch during his complete-game victory over Wilmington, Saturday on Community Day at Don and Sue Schaly Field. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

MARIETTA – Nothing will be easy from here on out.

And Marietta College coach Brian Brewer doesn’t mind if moving forward includes several dramatical finishes his baseball team experienced this past week.

The Etta Express entered the week on a 10-game losing streak and appeared dead in the water in their pursuit of finishing among the top four in the Ohio Athletic Conference and qualifying for the league tournament.

However, MC swept Otterbein on Wednesday then extended its winning streak with another sweep over an OAC opponent on Saturday, picking up two wins over Wilmington to keep its conference hopes alive.

On Community Day at Pioneer Park, the Etta Express received a complete-game effort from sophomore right-hander Austin Ziance for a 6-1 win in Game 1.

Marietta College’s Cam Russell celebrates after scoring a run in the fifth inning of Saturday’s first game of a doubleheader with Wilmington on Community Day at Don and Sue Schaly Field. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

In the nightcap, Cael Magill’s opposite field single between the first and second basemen brought home Shane Rothlisberger for a 3-2 walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth inning – the second walk-off victory for MC in the span of four days.

“We just have that competitive spirit – that’s what this program is all about,” Brewer said after his ballclub improved to 13-14 and 4-6 in the OAC. “Hopefully a couple of walk-offs this week will help us. Whether it’s that competitive spirit or whether it’s that confidence … because we are starting to get both. And we need that to continue moving in that direction.

“This was a good week. Guys are finally getting healthy. Before, they were kind of in and out of the lineup, and we couldn’t do some of the things we needed to do offensively.”

Despite allowing an unearned run in the first inning, Ziance gave MC a major lift. He scattered six hits, did not walk a batter and struck out five while improving to 5-1. His second complete game of his career yielded three double plays.

“My defense made some amazing plays behind me,” Ziance said. “Going the distance, it’s huge. I couldn’t have done it without my defense. I was getting early contact and obviously them having my back the way they did today, like they have all season, makes my job easy.”

Marietta College’s Eli Shouldis, right, hands the game ball to kindergartener Caden Kriechbaum after Kriechbaum threw the opening pitch prior to Saturday’s doubleheader with Wilmington on Community Day at Don and Sue Schaly Field. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

MC managed just three singles over the first four innings against Wilmington starting pitcher Luke Chappie. The right-hander was one out away from keeping the Pioneers scoreless through five innings.

With two outs and Thomson Babineau on first base following a one-out walk, No. 9 hitter Bryce Bogan kept the inning alive with a base hit into center field. The lineup card turned over and Cam Russell delivered a run-scoring single.

Jeremy Tonelli was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Nick Bonnizzio. Bonnizzio, who went 4-for-8 during the doubleheader with an intentional walk, followed with a two-run single to put MC in front 3-1.

MC tacked on an insurance run in the sixth. Cole Rieman led off with a double and later scored on an infield grounder hit by Babineau. The Pioneers created more breathing room in the seventh with two additional runs. Bonnizzio drove in his third run of the game with a one-out single. After McGill reached safely on a bunt single to load the bases, Rieman hit into a fielder’s choice which extended the lead to 6-1.

In the ninth, Wilmington put runners on first and second base with nobody out, but MC turned the twin killing and the final hitter grounded out harmlessly to second base for the final out.

Marietta College baserunner Thomson Babineau scores the first run in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Wilmington on Community Day at Don and Sue Schaly Field. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“Obviously, we had a really rough start to our conference schedule, but with how these last two doubleheaders played out and the rest of our remaining schedule, we are all real positive with how the rest of the season looks,” Ziance said. “We need to win out our conference games. It’s that plain and simple, play every game like it’s our Game 7 of the World Series.”

Game 2 of the doubleheader, MC followed the same script – fighting back late from an early deficit and again responding with an answer. In the top of the fourth inning, Gabe McDowell’s two-out single scored Kyle Jennings to put the Quakers in front 1-0.

Shane Rothlisberger, who was the right person in the right spot several times, reached on an infield single then advanced two bases when the shortstop’s throw went wild. Rothlisberger didn’t get too cozy with third base as Russell followed with a sacrifice fly.

MC starting pitcher Jacob Rocky lasted six innings. He surrendered a lead-off triple to JC Calhoun to open the sixth inning. Calhoun eventually scored on an infield grounder.

Other than the two runs, Rocky allowed just four hits, striking out four and walking none.

Marietta College Game 1 starting pitcher peers over to first base during Saturday’s doubleheader against Wilmington on Community Day at Don and Sue Schaly Field. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

The Pioneers’ equalizer occurred in the seventh inning when Rothlisberger scored on one of three errors committed by Wilmington during Game 2.

Forrest Havanis (3-2) kept MC in the ballgame by throwing three innings of scoreless relief.

With the score still locked up at 2 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Roethlisberger led off with a walk and was bunted over to second base. Wilmington reliever Nathan Powers got a fly out for the second out and Bonnizzio due up.

The Wilmington coaching staff elected to intentionally walk Bonnizzio and take their chances with Magill. During his plate appearance, Magill and his third base coach had a brief talk. Those words of wisdom worked as Magill delivered with the game-winning single.

“The message from my coach was just take a deep breath – we are in this moment together,” Magill said. “He had unlimited faith in me and told me just get my swing off and win a ballgame.

“When they walked (Bonnizzio) and I stepped into the box, I thought this is why you come to Marietta College – all the tradition, all the excellence that’s been bred here at the college and loved by so many for so long.

“It’s what you prepare for. This is why you go through the training runs, the morning conditioning and all the not-so-fun stuff – to play for moments like these. I told myself just enjoy it and make the most of it, and thankfully I did.”

Coach Brewer commended the job Wilmington second-year coach Barry Craddock has done since his arrival with the Quakers. At the same time, Brewer didn’t want Saturday to be the day MC’s winning streak over the Quakers ended, which reached 36 with the doubleheader sweep.

All-time, MC baseball is 59-3 against Wilmington.

“Historically, Wilmington has not played well against us for a long time,” Brewer said. “They’re getting better. Today was the first time they played pretty well against us. Yeah, I was a little scared but scared is good.

“That’s when you get a chance to see how your guys respond. We don’t play this game to be bored. It would be no fun if that was the case. It was a great opportunity for our guys, a great experience and hopefully we can build on this.”