LEXINGTON, S.C. – Marietta scored three times in the top of the first inning and never surrendered the lead as the nationally 20th-ranked Pioneers defeated 17th-ranked Cortland, 18-2, in the final contest of a three-game series between the teams at Lexington County Stadium.
 
Marietta won all three matchups with the Red Dragons and is now 8-4 on the year. Cortland dropped to 5-6 and will remain in Lexington for three games with Case Western Reserve, starting Sunday with a 2 p.m. contest.
 
Marietta finished the game with 15 hits. Brett Carson was 3-for-4 with a homer, double, walk and five RBI. Alex Richter went 2-for-4 with a walk, inside-the-park grand slam, four RBI and four runs, and Nick Bonnizzio was 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Ty Davis went 2-for-5 with a homer, double, walk and two runs, Cole Rieman finished 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and Matthew Busby went 2-for-4 with a walk, RBI and two runs.
 
Adam Mieczkowski (Vestal) provided the Cortland runs with a two-run homer in the bottom of the third that drew the Red Dragons within 3-2. Dylan Tierney (East Greenbush/Columbia) was 1-for-2 and Chris Bonacci (Syracuse/West Genesee) finished 1-for-3.
 
Cortland starter Bryan Bernard (Howell, NJ) took the loss after allowing the three first-inning runs. Grant Biederman (Huntington Station/Walt Whitman) was the most effective of Cortland's six relievers, allowing only two hits and striking out six of the eight batters he faced in two scoreless innings.
 
Marietta starter Zach Marzetz was awarded the win after allowing two runs on two hits with six strikeouts and no walks in a four-inning outing. Cole Yeager and Forrest Havanis each tossed two scoreless innings and Braden Shepherd threw a scoreless ninth.