(Marietta Communications) The second-seeded Marietta College baseball team entered the final day (May 10) of the 2008 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament needing just one win over top-seeded Heidelberg College to clinch the tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional Tournament. Unfortunately, the Student Princes won both games, 5-3 and 9-8, to steal the title and the bid to postseason play that came with it. Marietta finishes the season 23-20 overall, while Heidelberg improves to 37-8 on the spring.

Marietta, as it had done in the previous three games of the tournament, took the initial lead in the deciding game. The Pioneers plated a pair of runs in the second. Junior All-Tournament Team honoree shortstop Brennan Cribbins (Middleburg Heights/Midpark) had a two-run single to left center, scoring sophomore All-Tournament Team award winner catcher Danny Jones (Lima/Shawnee) and senior first baseman Dom Winters (Washington, Pa.), both of whom singled to start the frame.

Heidelberg tied the game in the third. Andrew Buelow had a RBI single and then Jeremy Wentworth scored on an error. The Student Princes then exploded for five runs on four hits in the fourth to take a commanding 7-2 advantage. Biagio Boytim had a two-run home run to left. Steve Decker then drove in a run with a double and Cody James singled home two more in the innings.

The Pioneers inched closer in the sixth. A pitch hit Jones and he later scored on a double play. After freshman Tom DeAngelis (Moon Township, Pa.) reached on a single and senior Tony Piconke (Clinton Township, Mich./Clintondale) walked, freshman Britt Meador (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) delivered a two-run single to right to make the score 7-5.

Heidelberg plated a pair of insurance runs off junior T.J. Knowlton (Greenwich/Mapleton) in the top of the eighth when James drove in two with a two-out single up the middle to increase his team’s lead to 9-5.

Marietta fought back with a three-run eighth to climb within a run, 9-8. The Pioneers loaded the bases and scored a run when junior Justin Merryman (New Philadelphia) drew a walk. Two more runs then scored on a fielding error off the bat of junior Cameron Cimino (Boardman). The Etta Express looked as if they tied the game on a wild pitch but Decker tracked it down and made the throw to Andy Lowe, who made the tag on Merryman before he crossed safely.

The Pioneers got the tying run to third base with one out in the ninth, but the Student Princes turned a game-ending double play to clinch the OAC Tournament title and automatic bid to the NCAA Regional Tournament in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Heidelberg out-hit Marietta 15-10 in the victory. The Pioneers hurt themselves with six errors, while the Student Princes overcame two errors. Both teams stranded eight runners in the game.

Sophomore Matt DeSico (Euclid) finished 3-for-3, while Jones had two hits in four at-bats in the loss. Wentworth and Beulow both had three hits, while Jason Lash, James and Decker added a pair of hits in the win.

The victory went to Brian Koehl, who worked the first 5 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits. Lowe, who was named the OAC Tournament MVP, got the final five outs to record the save. He finished the tournament with two wins and two saves.

Junior Jason Baumler (Crownsville, Md./Old Mill) took the loss to fall to 1-4. He allowed seven runs (three earned) on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. Sophomore Nate Eschbaugh (Marietta) worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings, while sophomore Tyler Penwell (Washington Court House) added another. Knowlton, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, gave up two runs on four hits in two innings.

Heidelberg’s Everett Thomas stole the show in the opener as he allowed just three runs (two earned) on three hits in 7 1/3 innings. Thomas walked four and struck out seven while improving to 7-1. Lowe got the final five outs to earn the save, his sixth of the year.

Merryman took the loss, falling to 3-6. He allowed five runs on 12 hits with two walks and four strikeouts in eight frames. Penwell worked the ninth and allowed two hits but no runs.

Marietta’s top four hitters in the lineup went without a hit in the loss. Wentworth and Matt Grassley both had three hits to lead Heidelberg’s offense. Both teams made one error in the game.

Marietta took a 1-0 lead with a run in the second. Piconke singled and later scored from first on a double to right center off the bat of Cribbins. Heidelberg tied the game in the top of the third when Decker scored on a fielding error.

The Etta Express regained the lead in the fourth. Jones was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Piconke singled and sophomore DeSico sacrificed the runners up to second and third. Cribbins then came through with a ground out to drive in Jones and give Marietta a 2-1 lead.

The Student Princes took their first lead of the game, 4-2, in the fifth when Gar Keen delivered a run-scoring single through the right side, James followed with a RBI single to right and Grassley reached and drove in a run on an infield single. Heidelberg then added another run in the seventh on a James single to extend its lead to 5-2.

Marietta scraped a run across in the eighth on a RBI single by DeSico to pull closer, 5-3. Jones doubled and scored on the play. That would be as close as the Etta Express would get, as the Student Princes forced the seventh and deciding game of the OAC Tournament.

Notes: Marietta and Heidelberg also met for the OAC Tournament championship at Don Schaly Stadium in 2004 with the Student Princes winning two games on the final day to upset the Pioneers and claim their first OAC Tournament title.