MARIETTA, Ohio - The top seeded Marietta College Pioneers defeated the John Carroll Blue Streaks 8-1 in the opening round of the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Thursday (May 10) at Marietta's Don Schaly Stadium.

The win takes Marietta to 35-6 on the season and into the winner's bracket of the OAC Tournament. The loss drops the Blue Streaks to 18-21 on the season and places them into the loser's bracket. Despite having lofty ambitions Marietta College head coachBrian Brewer said his team is focused on the task at hand.

"We're focused on our game tomorrow," Brewer said. "You can't look ahead," Brewer added. "Nothing else matters, not the last game or the next game."

Picking up the win, on the hill, for the Pioneers was Austin Blaski. Blaski went six innings, allowing one run on six hits giving up one walk and striking out five, running his record to 10-1.

Jimmy Spagna was hit with the loss. Spagna went 4 2/3 innings giving up six runs on five hits while walking six and ringing up three punch outs.

The Pioneers used a five-run fifth inning to break the game open and doing most of the damage with two outs.

"It (scoring with two outs) was big," Brewer said. "It was a big momentum change. The two out hits don't mean anything if nobody is on base."

John Carroll started the scoring. In the second frame, Blue Streak right fielder Ryan Konsler drove a solo homerun over the left field wall to give JCU a 1-0 lead. The Pioneers answered with a pair of runs in the home half of the second inning. Bryan Gregorich drew a one out walk before Alex Toth singled into right field and advanced Gregorich to third. Niko Stanislav drove in Gregorich on a ground ball to second base.

The other run scored when the John Carroll infield thought they had retired the side and started to leave the field and allowed Toth to scamper across the plate.

John Carroll threatened in the fourth inning. With bases loaded Mark Huddle hit a rocket to third base that was smothered by Gregorich. Gregorich dove to the third base bag to retire the side and end the John Carroll threat.

"(Gregorich) made a great play," John Carroll head coach Marc Thibeault said. "We would have had two for sure, maybe three. In the tournament once you get momentum, you can't give it back"

Marietta retained the 3-1 lead until the home half of the fifth inning. With two outs and one man on the Pioneers busted out the bats. Toth singled, Stansilav had a RBI double, Jordan Grilliot singled and plated Toth and Stansilav. After a Kirby Becker single, Tim Saunders hit a bases clearing triple.  In all, Marietta had five base runners make a trip around the diamond to extend to 8-1 where it would stand.

In relief of Blaski for the Pioneers, Luke Langdon pitched two innings and Mike Mahaffey closed the game pitching the ninth inning.

Offensively for Marietta, Toth went 2-for-3 scoring twice and Stansilav had three RBI on a 1-for-3 afternoon. Grilliot and Saunders each added a pair of RBI for the Pioneers to round of the Marietta scoring.

Marietta will play in the first game of the OAC Tournament Friday at 11a.m. Heidelberg, a 6-1 winner over Mount Union in the first round. John Carroll will play in the second game Friday and will meet Mount Union at 2 p.m..