NEW CONCORD, Ohio – The No. 1 ranked Marietta College Pioneers took sole possession of first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference by sweeping a doubleheader at Muskingum University Wednesday (April 11). The Pioneers won a hard-fought 3-1 decision in the opener and ran away from the Muskies with a 17-3 drubbing in the nitecap. [Game One Box] [Game Two Box]

The Etta Express improves to 20-4 overall and 7-1 in the OAC. The Muskies fall to 11-13 on the season and 5-3 in the conference.

Senior #Austin Blaski (Pandora/Gilboa)# tossed another gem for the Pioneers. Blaski (6-1) threw six innings and allowed one run on four hits. He walked one and struck out eight Muskie hitters. Senior #Kyle Lindquist (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne)# picked up his third save of the season striking out two in an inning of shutout relief.

The Pioneers broke a scoreless tie with a run in the fourth inning. Senior shortstop #Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance)# walked to lead off the inning. Following a fly out, Saunders stole second and third. He scored on a single by first baseman #Evan Brockmeier#.

Marietta extended its lead to 2-0 in the fifth inning. Junior right fielder #Jordan Grilliot (Brookville/Northmont)# singled and moved to second on a sac bunt by senior second baseman #Kirby Becker (South Euclid/St. Ignatius)#. Saunders followed with a single to center field scoring Grilliot.

Muskingum cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fifth. The first two Muskies of the inning struck out before left fielder Darren Garrett doubled into the right center gap. Center fielder Michael Lynn followed with an RBI single through the right side of the infield.

The Pioneers picked up an insurance run in the seventh. Grilliot triggered the rally once again with a lead off walk. Becker sacrificed him into scoring position and junior center fielder #Aaron Hopper (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg)# doubled to left scoring Grilliot.

Grilliot went 1-for-2 with two runs scored, while Saunders, Hopper and Brockmeier each drove in a run.

Colton Maxwell (3-2) was tagged with the loss. Maxwell went six innings giving up two runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Logan Addison gave up one run on one hit in an inning of work. He walked one and had one strikeout.

In the second game, Marietta equaled its run total from the opener in the top of the first inning. Brockmeier had the big hit in the inning with a two-run double to left center.

The Pioneers put the game away with seven runs in the third inning. Marietta sent 12 batters to the plate and collected seven base hits in the inning.

Marietta's bench added three more runs in the eighth and four in the ninth. The Pioneers racked up 21 hits in the game including six doubles.

Senior #Brian Gasser (New Philadelphia/Indian Valley)# started the game o the mound for the Pioneers. He went two innings and allowed no runs on one hit with two strikeouts. Head Coach Brain Brewer went to the bullpen after the Pioneers went ahead 10-0. That will allow Brewer to start Gasser against Heidelberg this Saturday.

Senior #Logan Lewis (Nashport/Tri-Valley)# was credited with the win. Lewis (3-0) pitched three innings and was charged with one run on five hits with three strikeouts.

Junior #Michael Mulvey# and Brockmeier each threw two innings. Mulvey gave up one run on four hits with a walk and a strikeout. Brockmeier allowed a run on three hits with a walk.

Alex Vandine (1-3) started and went two innings for the Muskies. Vandine was touched up for nine runs, all earned, on seven base hits. He walked three and had a strikeout. All told, six different pitchers went to the mound for Muskingum.

Becker went 4-for-5, while freshman #Mitch Geers (West Chester/Lakota East)#, Brockmeier and junior #Braden Park (Oxford/Talawanda)# each had three hits in the game for Marietta. Saunders, Hopper and #Clint Roche (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford)# collected two hits each.

Marietta returns to Don Schaly Stadium on Saturday (April 14) to host Heidelberg University for the 14th annual Community Day. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.