Marietta, Ohio – May 13, 2011 – Nationally ranked Heidelberg University suffered a 4-0 setback to Marietta College on day two of the 2011 Ohio Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament at Don Schaly Stadium in Marietta, Ohio. Marietta is the top-seed of the four-team tournament and are the top-ranked team in the nation, while the Berg is seeded second and rank ninth in the nation.The win improves Marietta to 37-3 on the year, while the Berg falls to 32-10.
Heidelberg returns to action in an elimination game at 7:00 p.m. this evening. The Berg will face the winner between third-seeded University of Mount Union and fourth-seeded John Carroll University. The winner of the game will earn a spot in the championship game tomorrow against the host Pioneers.
It was the third time in four years that Marietta and Heidelberg faced each other in the winner’s bracket on day two of the tournament. The nationally ranked foes battled back and forth in a hard fought contest. Heidelberg was limited to just two hits, and was held hitless until the sixth. On the flipside, Marietta registered its five hits in the first two innings and was held hitless the remainder of the contest.
Heidelberg starter Sylvester Nino (Willard, Ohio / Willard) struck out the first Pioneer batter and made the last out with a strike out, but Marietta managed two doubles in the middle to plate three runs for an early lead.
Nino, and the Berg defense, got out of a bases loaded jam in the second, but not before Kirby Becker had a RBI single to left field to extend the Pioneers lead to four, 4-0.
After a slow start on the mound, Nino settled down and did not give up a hit before giving way to closer Andy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll) in the seventh inning. In the end, Nino threw a five-hitter in 6.1 innings of work. He struck out four with five walks, four earned runs and three hit batters to fall to 5-3 on the year.
Gar Keen (Sparta, Ohio / Highland) interrupted a no-hitter through 5.2 innings by Marietta starter Austin Blaski with a double to right center. Heidelberg picked up its second hit in its final at bat. Elvin Williams Jr. (Euclid, Ohio / Euclid) had a leadoff double.