ADRIAN, Mich. — The 2009 NCAA Mideast Regional Tournament came down to a winner take all match-up between regional powers and rivals Marietta College and the College of Wooster Monday (May 18) afternoon at Nicolay Field on the campus of Adrian (Mich.) College. The squads met for the third time in as many days with a trip to Grande Chute, Wis., and the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship on the line. With the regional series locked at 1-1, the Fighting Scots earned the bid with a 4-3 victory to end the Pioneers' season.

Marietta finished the spring 32-17, taking home runner-up in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) regular season, OAC Tournament and Mideast Regional Tournament. Wooster improved to 39-9 and will open its fifth trip to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship on Friday against the winner of the Central Region.

Monday's action was a scoreless pitcher's duel between Marietta senior Chris Stewart (Dublin/Dublin Coffman) (Dublin/Coffman) and Wooster senior Mark Miller until the sixth when the Etta Express got its first two hits of the game and plated a run to take a 1-0 advantage. Senior All-Tournament selection Cameron Cimino (Boardman/Boardman) (Boardman) led off with a single to right. He moved up to second base on a wild pitch. A sacrifice bunt by junior Chris Beatty (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton) (Seven Fields, Pa./Hampton) advanced Cimino to third. Sophomore Casey Levens (Dayton/Centerville) (Dayton/Centerville) then came through with a RBI single to right.

Wooster came right back with a walk by Matt Groezinger and then a two-run home from Matthew Pierce in the bottom of the sixth to gain its first lead of the game.

The Etta Express tied the game without a hit in the top of the seventh. Freshman Kirby Becker (South Euclid/St. Ignatius) (South Euclid/St. Ignatius) drew a leadoff walk. Freshman Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance) (Alliance) and junior Dan Jones (Lima/Shawnee) (Lima/Shawnee) then reached on back-to-back Wooster errors. Senior pinch hitter Brennan Cribbins (Middleburg Heights/Midpark) (Middleburg Heights/Midpark) followed by grounding into a double play but Becker scored to knot the contest at 2-2.

A two-out triple by Sean Karpen put the go ahead run in scoring position for the Fighting Scots. Freshman reliever Kyle Lindquist (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) replaced Stewart and got John Warren to pop up to second base but the ball was lost in the sun and Karpen raced home to give his squad the 3-2 lead.

Marietta locked the game at 3-3 on a two-out infield single by sophomore All-Tournament selection John Snyder (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) (Altoona, Pa.) in the top of the ninth. Sophomore Chris Dowdell (North Ridgeville/Walsh Jesuit) (North Ridgeville/Walsh Jesuit) began the rally when he was hit by a pitch. Lindquist pinch ran for Dowdell and moved to second on a ground out. He then raced around to score when Snyder's hit bounced over the third baseman's head.

The tie was short-lived, however, as a Michael DeBord opened the bottom of the frame with a double. Pinch runner Chris Wood advanced to third on a fly ball and then scored the winning run on a wild pitch to give Wooster the 4-3 win.

The Fighting Scots out hit the Pioneers 10-5 and overcame three errors to win the game. Levens finished with two hits for Marietta, while Pierce and DeBord each had three hits for Wooster.

Stewart, pitching on three day's rest, scattered three runs (two earned) on nine hits, walked two and fanned a pair in 6 2/3 innings. Lindquist, who took the loss to fall to 1-1, gave up one run on one hit and struck out two in 1 2/3 frames.

Miller, pitching on two day's rest, earned the win with a complete-game, five-hitter. The right-hander gave up three runs (two earned), walked two and struck out four while improving to 10-1.

After the game sophomore Mark Williams (Fayetteville/Perry) (Fayetteville/Perry) joined Snyder and Cimino on the All-Mideast Region Tournament Team.