Shane Gallagher

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster scored nine runs on 11 hits Wednesday afternoon, but could not keep pace with No. 1 ranked Marietta College's offense in a 15-9 setback at Art Murray Field, as the Pioneers earned a regular season split.

The two teams combined for just 14 hits in Wooster's 6-0 victory at Port Charlotte, Fla., March 15, but on Wednesday, they sprayed 17 hits around the first three innings, with Marietta (26-5) holding a 9-8 lead through the first third of the game.

The Pioneers took advantage of two errors by Wooster (21-13) in the first inning, tallying three unearned runs with the big blow being a two-out triple by Evan Brockmeier.

During the bottom of the frame, Shane Gallagher kick started the Fighting Scots' offense with the first of his three hits, followed by an Eddie Reese single and a Johnathan Ray RBI double. Billy Farrow plated Reese via a groundout to second to pull Wooster within 3-2.

Marietta put one on the board in the second and then broke through for a five-run third, highlighted by Jordan Grilliot's two-run blast over the right-center field fence.

That gave the visitors a seemingly comfortable 9-2 cushion, however, the Scots one-upped them with six in the bottom of the third. Jarrod Mancine and Gallagher opened it with back-to-back doubles, and Reese kept the hits coming with another single. After a fielder's choice play scored a second run, consecutive walks loaded the bases, and with two outs, Michael DeBord found an opening just inside the left-field line for a two-run double that sent the Pioneers to their bullpen.

Bryan Miller greeted the reliever by slicing a ball inside the right-field line, a single that brought in two more runs and made it a 9-8 game.

Marietta scored twice in the fifth inning via back-to-back sacrifice flies, then manufactured single tallies during the sixth and seventh as it steadily built a 13-8 advantage.

Wooster, which stranded two runners on base in the sixth, attempted to rally during the eighth. Pinch hitter Matt Felvey started the second-to-last inning by drawing a walk, then an error put runners on the corners with no outs. John McLain, another pinch hitter, followed with an RBI single through the left side, but the Scots do no further damage.

Grilliot tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth by homering for the second time.

Gallagher finished 3-for-4 and walked in his other plate appearance, while Reese (2-for-5) and Ray (2-for-5) also registered multi-hit outings.

Grilliot wound up 3-for-4 with a double, the two homers, and six RBI.

The Scots will host North Coast Athletic Conference East Division rival Allegheny College (16-18, 9-3 NCAC East) this Saturday and Sunday, with the winner of the four-game set earning a spot in the league's postseason tournament.