MARIETTA, Ohio - The Marietta College Pioneers have known since Thursday afternoon that a chance for a defense of their 2011 Mideast Regional Championship would first mean a climb through the loser's bracket.
The Pioneers completed that climb Saturday afternoon with a 9-2 win over St. John Fisher, the team that originally knocked Marietta into the loser's bracket. The Pioneers now face the task of having to beat Manchester College twice in order to win their 22nd regional championship.
In the first game against SJFC the Cardinals jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.
The game Saturday started much the same way as the second pitch of the game for Marietta pitcher #Austin Blaski# was drilled over the left field wall by Steven Karnyski to give SJFC a 1-0 lead.
After the first inning Blaski took control of the Cardinals' order. Blaski (12-1) gave up two runs on four hits and picked up the win or his squad. "I thought I would throw today," Blaski said. "I tried to keep it simple, like any other start, just throw strikes and get ahead." Blaski walked a pair and fanned two.
The lead would be short-lived. In the second frame #Mitch Geers# doubled into right-center field and advanced when the center fielder couldn't cleanly field the ball. Geers was plated when, the next batter, #Evan Brockmeier# grounded out to shortstop.
The Etta Express broke that tie in the third inning. #Tim Saunders# swung and missed on what would have been a third strike, but a balk was called, which put runners on second and third base. On the very next pitch, Saunders doubled into left-center to score #Kirby Becker# and #Josh Ungerbuehler# to put Marietta up 3-1. Saunders finished with a 3-for-4 day with 3 RBI's and he also scored twice.
The Pioneers added another run in the fourth inning. Brockmeier singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an #Alex Toth# RBI single to push the lead to three runs. St. John Fisher answered in the home half of the fourth with a run of their own to cut the lead back to two runs.
The Pioneers added on in the fifth as well. Becker led off the inning with a single, then Saunders followed suit. #Aaron Hopper# grounded out to drive in Becker. Geers added to his RBI total, in the very next at bat, plating Saunders. Geers went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs knocked in and scored a run.
Toth scored the Pioneers' last run of the afternoon on a solo blast to left to cap off a 2-for-4 day with 2 RBI's and a run scored.
Marietta will play Manchester, who is unbeaten in the regional, at 4p.m. Saturday in the first game of the Championship Round. Since Manchester has not lost yet, the Pioneers would have to defeat them twice to capture the regional title. If Marietta wins the game Saturday the Championship Game will be played Sunday at 1p.m.