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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Haracz triple
Haracz hit a sweet 2-run triple in the 7th, but Marietta's powerful offense was too much for JCU. 
3
John Carroll JCU 18-21-1
10
Winner Marietta College MAR 33-4
John Carroll JCU
18-21-1
3
Final
10
Marietta College MAR
33-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
John Carroll JCU 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 9 3
Marietta College MAR 0 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 X 10 12 0

W: Gino Sabatine (9-0) L: Merrill, John (4-5) S: Sam Mathews (6)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Joe Ginley '16, SID

Campaign Concludes for JCU Baseball with OAC Semifinal Loss to Marietta

MARIETTA, Ohio -- Watching the movie "Miracle" on the bus during the 2.5 hour sojourn south on I-77 to Marietta, John Carroll University Baseball was mentally prepared to play the role of giant killer. 

But the Blue Streaks were not able to topple powerhouse Marietta in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinal. The Pioneers ended John Carroll's 2021 season with a 10-3 conquest at Don and Sue Schaly Field at Pioneer Park.

Marietta scattered the 10 runs over 8 innings, scoring in all but the first. Meanwhile, the Blue Streaks' runs all came in the seventh. 

John Carroll got something cooking to start the game. Sam Heaton and Joe Olsavsky opened the contest with back-to-back singles. But a fielder's choice and a pair of flyouts allowed Gino Sabatine to skate away. John Merrill walked one in the first, but got out of it unscathed, as well.

After JCU didn't scratch any runs across in the top of the second, Marietta got the scoring started. With two outs, the Pioneers slotted back-to-back-to-back singles to the outfield to score the game's initial run. 

Following a quiet JCU third, the Pios tabbed another run in the third. Back-to-back singles started the trouble, though the visitors garnered a pair of outs via grounders. Merrill looked to be in good shape to get out of it. But Marietta drew a walk to load the bases and then a hit by pitch sent the score to 2-0. 

Logan LaMere walked and Matthew Thiel walked in the top of the fourth, but again Sabatine pulled an out from his hat to again keep JCU off the board. Merrill wasn't so fortunate. 

The Pioneers pushed the junior from the game in the bottom half of the frame. A walk and a single placed JCU in a perilous position. Merrill tabbed an out with a sacrifice bunt, but NWBCA Hitter of the Week Drew Holderbach pierced the hearts of JCU fans with a huge 2-run single. Erik Daugenti fired in a heater and caught Holderbach trying to stretch his hit to a double, but JCU trailed nevertheless, 4-0. Jack Bennett entered and ensured no more runs came across. 

In the fifth, the Blue Streaks looked poised to get a run back. Sam Heaton singled and advanced on a wild pitch to open the inning. Following two JCU strikeouts, Justin Hanley stayed patient and earned a walk. But a flyout ended the promising opportunity.  

Marietta got a runner aboard to start the bottom of the fifth due to an error, but Logan LaMere caught the runner stealing with an excellent throw along with a perfect tag by Heaton. A second runner got aboard via a walk, but this time, JCU did not catch the runner stealing, as a hit plated the runner with 2 outs. Bennett garnered the final out of the frame with a grounder, but entering the sixth, John Carroll trailed, 5-0. 

Marietta's stud reliever Sam Mathews took the mound in the sixth. Mathews moved quickly through the inning with a 1-2-3 frame. After an opening strikeout, JCU allowed a triple to Holderbach. After Marietta advanced the lead to 6 runs with an RBI single, Jon Gavric entered the contest. The freshman wiggled out of the inning, giving JCU a chance in the seventh.

John Carroll's bats came alive in the seventh frame. Sam Heaton slotted a 1-out single to second to open things off. Joe Olsavsky stayed hot with a nice single to center. Then Henry Haracz hammered a triple down the line in right field, pushing Heaton and Olsavsky across the plate. Hanley then did a job, grounding to short to score Haracz. 

Having the lead, the Blue Streaks had new hope entering the seventh. But a hit by pitch, bunt single, and a walk loaded the bases for a dangerous situation. Bobby Bell reached into the bullpen again, this time calling for Nicholas Michel. The senior allowed a sacrifice fly, allowing Marietta to push the advantage to 7-3. Heaton then saved the inning with a solid play at second to advance to the next frame.

Mathews got back into a groove in the eighth. The Fairfield native fanned the first two JCU batters and garnered a groundout to end the inning. 

Marietta broke JCU's back in the bottom of the eighth. Back-to-back opening walks spelled danger from the start. Erich Payne entered, but Marietta loaded the bases with another walk. A wild pitch scratched across another run. A groundout got the first out, but on a grounder to the infield, the Blue Streaks missed the ball in trying to get the runner at home, so another pair of runs came across.

Henry Darrow trotted into the game, and stopped the bleeding. But with only three runs to give, the Blue Streaks faced a herculean task, needing 7 runs to tie it. Olsavsky remained hot with a single, but Mathews allowed nothing else, sealing the game with a save, his sixth. 

John Merrill accepted the season-ending loss, dropping to 4-5 after a solid effort. Olsavsky starred in the defeat, with a 4-for-5 day at the dish, scoring a run and notching 2 RBI. Heaton hit 3-for-5 with a run scored. Haracz and Thiel registered JCU's other two hits.

Bell filled the stat sheet with six pitchers, who combined to allow 12 runs to a nearly unstoppable Marietta lineup. With the defeat, the Blue Streaks end the year with an 18-21-1 overall record. 
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