ADRIAN, Michigan — No. 16 Shenandoah University scored three runs in the first two innings and then held on to defeat Marietta College, 3-2, Thursday (May 17) morning in the first game of the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional at Nicolay Field on the campus of Adrian College.

The Pioneers (27-17 overall) fall into the losers bracket and will play Friday morning at 10 a.m. against the loser of the Wabash College versus College of Wooster game. Shenandoah (35-10) plays the winner of that game tomorrow at 4:30 p.m.

"(Colin) Morse really hung in there today. He has a heck of an arm and did a great job," Marietta head coach Brian Brewer said. "We played well, but they were the better team today. I'm disappointed in the outcome but not our effort. We were able to apply some pressure in the latter innings and had our opportunities in the last couple innings."

Senior right-hander Colin Morse (8-3) pitched a complete game seven-hitter for the Hornets. He allowed two runs and one walk while striking out seven Pioneers.

Shenandoah took advantage of a Pioneer error in the top of the first to plate an unearned run. The Hornets added two more runs in the second inning for a 3-0 lead.

Pioneers starter David Stover (10-4) settled down and blanked the Hornets over the next four innings before turning the ball over to the bullpen. Stover threw 6.0 innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits. He walked two and struck out four.

Austin Eaton struck out two of the three batters he faced and Kordell Antill tossed 2.1 innings of shutout relief. Antill struck out two Hornets as well.

Morse carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning when Zack Ward lined a two-out single to leftfield. Ward was left on base when Morse got Trent Castle to fly out ending the inning.

The Etta Express got on the board in the sixth. Catcher Brady Cottom led off with a single to left and moved to second on a groundout. Chris Petrucci singled through the left side of the infield sending Cottom to third. Petrucci and Cottom pulled off the double steal for Marietta's first run of the game.

Marietta got within one run in the seventh. Mike Hale reached on a one-out walk and moved around to third base when Connor Golden lined a single down the right field line. Ward followed with a sac fly to center scoring Hale.

Shenandoah worked out of trouble in both the eighth and ninth innings. In the eighth, Seamus Kenneally and Geoff Snyder reached on single but Petrucci grounded into a double play ending the threat.

Hale smacked a one-out double to the wall in left center in the ninth and then moved to third on a groundout. With the tying run 90-feet away, Morse got Ward to pop up for the final out of the game.

Seven different Pioneers had a hit in the game with Hale's double the only one that went for extra bases.

"We've been in this position before," Brewer said. "I told the guys that we've just got to make a commitment to make sure that we are ready to go tomorrow morning and that we are not going to get outplayed."

Notes: Marietta and Shenandoah have played each other twice with the Hornets posting 3-2 wins both times. The first meeting was in the 2016 NCAA South Regional at Berry, Ga… In its previous 41 NCAA Tournament appearances, Marietta has gone 0-2 just five times.