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Marietta College shortstop Kylie Daugherty prepares to catch a pop up during game one of Saturday’s doubleheader against John Carroll. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

MARIETTA — Here Saturday afternoon on Community Day, Marietta College snapped a six-game losing streak with a 6-4 win versus John Carroll in the opener, but had to settle for an Ohio Athletic Conference twinbill split after falling 5-3 in game two.

Trailing 4-3 in the opener heading to the bottom of the sixth, the Pioneers (12-20, 6-10) made a winner of Breanna Zirkle thanks to a pinch-hit two-out, three-run double by senior first baseman Anna Swierczewski. Zirkle was the fourth MC hurler and pitched two innings for her first decision of the campaign.

Starter Jillian Middleton, who was lifted in the second, opened game one by issuing back-to-back free passes to Gracie Bressoud and Kasyn Scarantine. The Blue Streaks (13-12-2, 6-7-1) managed two runs thanks to RBI groundouts from Crista Nativio and Kristen Jesberger.

The hosts were able to tie the game in the second when Paige Adams launched a solo homer to center and Middleton followed with a no-doubter to left.

Pioneer leadoff hitter Kylie Daugherty, who opened the third with a triple, put the hosts ahead for the first time when she scored on Jess Brown’s sac fly RBI.

JCU was able to regain the lead with two runs in the fifth.

Mallory Stonebraker drew a one-out walk and pinch-runner Tora Walters crossed on Kendall Trunzo’s RBI two-bagger. Trunzo later scored on an error.

In the MC sixth, Adams’ two-out walk was followed by Taylor Airy drawing a free pass before Hailey Maher reached on an error to load them up for Swierczenski’s heroics.

“A sweep is always great on Community Day, but a split with that team, you know, they are right in the middle of the pack for OAC getting a bid to conference so we were just trying to come and take two away from them,” said MC boss Jenn Castle, whose program saddled Brianna Callow (5-4) with the loss after she went the distance, but allowed just three earned runs.

“It’s huge to have your senior be able to come in, she’s one of our leaders, to have her come in and do that. I knew she would, which is why she was called upon and she absolutely did her job.”

The visitors led 5-0 after four innings of game two. Bressoud tripled and scored in the first thanks to a Nativio RBI groundout. A three-run third was highlighted by Trunzo’s two-run double to right. A three-base error by the Pioneers allowed Kaylyn Odelli, who singled, to score in the fourth.

Coach Castle’s squad scored two unearned runs in the fifth off winning pitcher Danielle Orendi (6-3). No. 8 and No. 9 hitters Haylee Mott and Taylor Watts opened the frame with singles and Watts scored on a wild pitch. Brown drove in Daugherty, who reached on a fielder’s choice, with a sac fly.

Controversy arose in the sixth as the Pioneers were trying to tie the game. Swierczewski walked to start it off and was replaced by pinch-runner Jordan Cholley. Following an out, Middleton doubled to center and after Micaela Bradley walked the bases were loaded for pinch-hitter Emma Burke, who promptly lifted a sac fly RBI to left to make it 5-3. However, the throw to the plate was errant and appeared to go out of play, but the inning abruptly ended when the Pioneers were called for dugout interference.

“I tried my best,” coach Castle admitted of getting the call changed. “They said our player touched it before it went into the dugout. That’s a big call in that situation, but I try to take it back to our own team and take it back to ourselves. If we hit sooner in that game and don’t give away some of those errors it doesn’t become a factor.”

Daugherty looked like she would lead off the last of the seventh with extra bases, but the right fielder Nativio made a sprinting catch in the gap on the warning track. Although Rachel Kazmirski walked and Adams had a two-out double to right which put runners on second and third, Callow got Swierczewski to ground out to third baseman Serena Paterno, who made a pair of diving infield catches in game one, to seal the split.

“The biggest take away from today is our pitching did a really great job,” added Castle, who watched starter Sarah Keating (0-3) take the loss after she recorded eight outs but only allowed one earned run. “That’s something we’ve been making adjustments.

“We’ve been working really hard on off days in the bullpen and it showed today. They made the adjustments they needed to and I’m really proud.”

Bressoud, the Blue Streaks’ center fielder, robbed Daugherty of a hit on a sinking liner to open game two when she made a fully extended diving catch. She followed that up on the next batter with another diving web gem to rob Kazmirski of a hit.

Contact Jay Bennett at [email protected]