TIFFIN – The winning ways continued for the Heidelberg University softball team on Saturday, as the Student Princes swept the visiting Marietta College Pioneers. The Berg held on for a 7-6 win in the opener before dominating a mercy-rule shortened nightcap, 9-0.

Heidelberg improved to 20-4 on the season, 9-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Marietta fell to 11-15, 4-6 in the OAC.

GOING STREAKING: The Student Princes have won a program-record 11 games in a row. The previous best was a nine-game streak, last accomplished in 2010.

KEY STATS: Christine Bowling was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, driving in five runs ... Marissa Smego's hot week continued. After pounding out three doubles on Monday, Smego had two more on Saturday. She scored four times ... Leadoff hitter Taylor Hicks set the table by reaching base four times.

GAME ONE – HEIDELBERG 7 MARIETTA 6: The Pioneers pounded out four hits in the top of the first off of starter Paige Atterholt. Down 2-0 with runners on second and third with one out, Atterholt used a strikeout and a fielder's choice to limit the damage.

The Heidelberg offense stormed out of the gates in the bottom of the first, putting up five runs. Taylor Hicks led off by slapping a single to left. She moved to second on a Renee Lovett sacrifice bunt and scored on a double by Marissa Smego. After Mikaela Mitsch drew a walk, Kayla Zachrich singled home Smego. With two outs and the bases loaded, Randi Kelsey doubled to the wall in center. On the play, Mitsch and Zachrich scored easily. The throw from the outfield was off line and rolled to the fence near the Heidelberg dugout. On the error, Kyleah Brey raced home and scored with a head-first dive.

Leading 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth, back-to-back two-out doubles by Smego and Mitsch plated a pair.

Marietta got two back in the fifth off of Cori Long (8-1), who relieved Atterholt to start the second.

In the top of the seventh, the Pioneers closed the gap to 7-6 on a two-out single by Ariann Barile. Long induced a fielder's choice to second to end the game.

GAME TWO – HEIDELBERG 9 MARIETTA 0: Heidelberg struck with a pair in the bottom of the first. Brey drew a bases-loaded walk, forcing in Hicks. Christine Bowling followed with a bloop single to left, scoring Smego.

In the second, the Student Princes padded their lead with three more runs. With the bases loaded, Brey singled in Smego with a basehit to left. Bowling, who didn't play in the first game, knocked in two more with a single to right center.

The Tricolor added four more in the fourth, taking a 9-0 lead. Bowling rocked a double to the wall in left center, scoring Zachrich and Mitsch, who both reached on defensive miscues. Kelsey followed with a double of her own, plating Bowling. In her first at bat of the season, Erin Chapman placed a single into right, which allowed Kelsey to score.

Atterholt fired a three-hit shutout in the mercy-rule shortened contest. She fanned a pair, improving to 6-2 on the season.

THE QUOTE OF THE DAY: Head coach Betsy Hada on the consistency of her offense -- "Our offense isn't just one through four. It's one through nine and the whole bench. Anyone can step up at any moment."

TARP DUTY: A week of heavy rain took a toll on softball diamonds across the state and Frann's Field was no different. It took a team of more than 30 people to take off the tarp after the rain subsided on Friday morning.

"We had the help of some really great people pulling the tarp on Friday," said Hada. "We are really appreciative of all the support from everybody."

EXTRA BASES: The Student Princes have won their first eight games at their new home, Frann's Field ... Six of the wins at home have been settled by one run ... With eight conference games left to play, Heidelberg has already equaled its total from a year ago ... The program's highest conference win total is 10 wins, accomplished three times (1995, 1997, and 1998).

BACK AT IT: The Student Princes will not have much time to revel in their victories. They travel to Bexley to take on Capital University on Sunday. The doubleheader was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but was pushed back due to constant rain last week. At 18-7, 9-1, the Crusaders are tied with the Student Princes atop the OAC standings. The twinbill is slated for a 1 p.m. start.