Case Western Reserve University senior catcher Jack Anderson went five-for-eight with three extra-base hits, including his first career home run, and the Spartans' pitching staff allowed just nine hits in 18 innings, as the team split a doubleheader at 15^th-ranked Marietta College on Wednesday afternoon, losing the first game 3-1, before winning the second contest by an identical score.

With the split, both CWRU and Marietta moved to 3-3 on the season.

Game 1 – Marietta 3, CWRU 1
Anderson's first career home run broke a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning, but Marietta tied the game in the bottom of the inning and scored a pair of runs in its final at-bat to defeat the Spartans 3-1.

Junior southpaw Reece Marley spun his second-straight gem to open the season, holding the Pioneers to just one run on four hits and no walks while striking out six batters in seven innings in the no-decision. He lowered his ERA to 1.38 for the season following the effort.

However, Marley was matched by Marietta starter Gino Sabatine, as both teams were locked in a scoreless tie until the sixth when Anderson sent the first pitch of the inning over the wall in center field. The Pioneers answered back with a run in the bottom of the sixth off Marley and then scored a pair in the eighth to take the lead. CWRU brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth but could not find the equalizer in the loss.

Despite outhitting Marietta 7-5 during the game, the Spartans left runners in scoring position in four of the nine innings. Anderson had two of the team's seven hits with a double, a home run, a run scored, and an RBI.

Graduate student Evan Faxon made his season debut in the game, allowing a pair of runs (one earned) in the eight to suffer the loss and drop to 0-1 on the campaign. Kail Hill picked up the win in relief for Marietta to improve to 2-0.

Game 2 – CWRU 3, Marietta 1
First-year Austin McGowan, senior Jonathan Simon, and junior Tyler Horvath combined to allow just one run on four hits in the second game of the doubleheader to lift the Spartans to a 3-1 win.

McGowan made the first start of his career, going four and two-thirds innings and allowing just one run on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Simon earned the first win of his career, allowing just one walk and striking out three in two and a third, and has not allowed a hit through four and two-thirds innings out of the bullpen this season. Horvath threw the final two innings, allowing a walk and a hit and striking out a pair to earn his second save of the year.

Anderson added a three-for-four performance in the game with a triple, a run scored, and an RBI. First-year second baseman Jasiah Harris went two-for-four with a double and a run.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when Marietta took a 1-0 lead on a wild pitch. CWRU responded immediately when Anderson led off the sixth with a triple and scored a batter later on an RBI groundout by junior Zack Carinci.

The game remained tied at 1-1 until the top of the eighth. Harris singled to open the frame and an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt by junior Tim Demetris followed by a double steal put two runners in scoring position with nobody out. Anderson followed with a groundball to shortstop that was bobbled, allowing the go-ahead run to score. The Spartans added a run in the top of the ninth after senior shortstop Trey Haley tripled to start the frame and scored on a pinch-hit RBI single by sophomore Jay Smith. In the bottom of the inning, Marietta put the tying runs on the basepaths, but Horvath worked out of trouble, ending the game on a strikeout.

The Spartans will face another test on Saturday when CWRU returns to Nobby's Ballpark for its first home games of the 2023 season against Washington & Jefferson College, which received votes in the latest D3baseball.com Top 25 poll. The first pitch of the first game is scheduled for noon.