David Holmes

The Denison University baseball team closed out the weekend with an 8-5 loss at Marietta College on Sunday evening.

With the scored tied at 2-2 through two innings, the Big Red was able to recapture the lead at 3-2 in the top of the third frame. DU second baseman Bill Sanders (Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill) got things going with a two-out single up the middle. After advancing on a wild pitch, Sanders crossed the dish on a single to right field by Peter Krieger (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan).

The Pioneers responded with a three-run fourth inning to take a 5-3 advantage. In the sixth inning, center fielder David Holmes (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) belted a two-RBI double to right center which knotted the game up at 5-all. However, the Etta Express answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame and tacked on an additional insurance run in the eighth to lock up the victory.

Holmes finished the night 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs while junior Park Smith (Warren, N.J./The Pingry School) was also 3-for-5 with a run scored. Senior Andy Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore), Krieger and sophomore Kevin Teague (Fairfax Station, Va./St. Stephens and St. Agnes) all recorded multi-hit performances.

Rookie Kevin Bratcher (Raleigh, N.C./Ravenscroft) fell to 2-2 on the season after suffering the loss in relief. Bratcher surrendered two runs (one earned) off three hits in three innings of work. Freddy Marino (Shaker Heights, Ohio/University School) allowed five runs off 11 hits in the start.

Denison (18-19) returns to the field on Tuesday when they host Allegheny College at 6 p.m.