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Feciuch Hits Walkoff HR as BW Beats Marietta in Game One

Lauren Feciuch
Lauren Feciuch

BEREA , OHIO – Junior third baseman Lauren Fecuich (Kent/Field) hit a walkoff home run with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Baldwin Wallace University softball team beat Ohio Athletic Conference rival Marietta College, 6-5, in the first game of a season-ending OAC doubleheader on Seniors' Day at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds Field. 

With its win, BW is 20-17 overall and 5-10 in the OAC prior to today's second game. The Yellow Jackets won their 20th game for the fourth time in the last five years. With its loss, Marietta is 20-15 overall and 10-7 in the OAC prior to the nightcap.

Feciuch, who has played in just 19 games this season due to injury, played in her first game since March and batted twice.  She entered the game in the fifth inning. The walkoff home run was the second of her career and first since hitting one in extra innings against OAC-rival Ohio Northern University two years ago in the OAC Tournament Championship Game. The homer gave BW both the OAC tourney title and a spot in the 2011 NCAA Division III National Tournament.

The Pioneers opened a 3-0 lead with a run in the top half of each of the first three innings.

BW came back to take a 5-0 lead with a five-run bottom of the third inning. Freshman center fielder Jessica Chidsey (West Salem/Black River) opened the inning by reaching base on a Marietta fielding error and advanced to second base on a ingle by junior All-OAC pitcher/ designated hitter Tabitha Murray (Mogadore/Field). After an out, senior RF Alyssa Brown (Hudson) singled to score Chidsey to cut the deficit to 3-1, and Murray advanced to third and Brown to second on a second Pioneer throwing miscue. Murray and Brown scored when junior Academic All-OAC third baseman Kaity Mullen (Avon Lake) singled to tie the score at 3-3. After the second out, BW gained a 5-3 lead when freshman second baseman Angelina Ciraci (Bolivar/Tuscawaras Central Catholic) belted her first career home run.

Marietta had a golden opportunity to tie the game in the top of the sixth inning as it had runners on second and third. It scored one run on a sacrifice fly to make it 5-4, but the runner at second was doubled off at third base when Alyssa Brown cut her down with a perfect throw.

The Pioneers tied the game at 5-5 in the seventh inning, and that set up Feciuch's heroics.

At the plate, Murray led the way with three hits in four at-bats and a run scored.  Chidsey, Ciraci and sophomore first baseman Mackenzie Brua (Avon) each had a pair of hits. Chidsey was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Ciraci was 2-for-three with a run scored and the two-run homer in the third inning. Brua was 2-for-3.

On the mound, Murray started her 21st game of the season and pitched all seven innings, allowed nine hits, five runs (four earned), struck out six and issued three bases on balls as she improved to 17-9 overall.  The complete game was the 18th this season.  She now has 167 strikeouts in 164 innings pitched this season.

FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.bwyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.