CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — The No. 2 Marietta College baseball team swept its fourth Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader in a seven-day stretch to improve to 23-2 overall. Capital University was the latest victim, as the Etta Express rolled to 14-2 and 13-2 victories at V.A. Memorial Stadium Wednesday (April 13) afternoon. [Game 1 Box Score] [Game 2 Box Score]

Marietta also moved to 8-0 in the OAC and gained a one-game lead over their next opponent No. 5 Heidelberg University after it split a doubleheader at Ohio Northern University Wednesday. The Pioneers and Student Princes will renew their rivalry at 1 p.m. Saturday (April 16) at Peaceful Valley in Tiffin, Ohio.

The Etta Express, who sport the nation's best ERA and seventh-ranked defense, allowed just three earned runs and made two errors while collecting 27 runs on 28 hits over 16 innings against the Crusaders (8-15, 4-4 OAC).

Junior Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance) led the attack in game one with three hits in five at-bats. Senior John Snyder (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) and sophomores Aaron Hopper (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg), Evan Brockmeier (Marietta/Marietta) and Braden Park (Oxford/Talawanda) all contributed two hits in the opener.

Marietta batted around and scored six runs in the first inning of the day. Hopper had the big hit, a two-run double, in the frame. Capital plated a run in its first at-bat, before Marietta answered with its seventh run of the game in the second.

The Crusaders added an unearned run in the fourth to make it 7-2. The Pioneers, however, exploded for another six-run inning in the fifth and added their final run in the seventh en route to the 14-2 win.

Junior Brian Gasser (New Philadelphia/Indian Valley) worked the first four innings to earn the win and improve to a league-best 7-0. Gasser scattered two runs (one earned) on three hits, walked one and struck out four before giving way to the Pioneer bullpen. Sophomore Luke Langdon (Troy/Troy) followed with two scoreless frames, allowing just one hit, while classmate Michael Mulvey (Glenshaw, Pa./North Catholic) closed the game with a perfect seventh frame.

In game two, Marietta's offense cracked the scoreboard with a run in the second. Hopper then had a two-run single and Brockmeier a two-run triple in a five-run third.

The Pioneers extended their lead to 10-0 in the sixth and then to 13-0 when Saunders' two-run triple keyed a three-run eighth. Capital finally broke the shutout in the eighth when it scored a pair of runs before falling 13-2.

Junior Kirby Becker (South Euclid/St. Ignatius) and Brockmeier both finished 3-for-5, while sophomore Jordan Grilliot (Brookville/Northmont), Saunders and Hopper added a pair of hits in game two.

Junior Austin Blaski (Pandora/Gilboa) allowed just one hit while striking out six over the first five innings to capture the win and improve to 6-1.

Senior Mark Williams (Fayetteville/Perry) followed with two perfect innings, striking out three. Brockmeier pitched the eighth, before junior closer Kyle Lindquist (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) struck out three more during a scoreless ninth.

WMOA-AM 1490 will broadcast the OAC battle between two of the nation's top-five teams. The games can be heard locally and online at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wmoa-live. Live statistics can also be viewed at http://www.heidelberg.edu/statcrew/bb/xlive.htm.