COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 2 ranked Marietta College baseball team swept an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader at Capital University Friday (April 6) afternoon. The Etta Express allowed just one Crusader runner into scoring position as the Pioneers blanked Capital 7-0 and 6-0. [Game One Box] [Game Two Box]

Marietta moves to 17-4 on the season and is 5-1 in the OAC. Capital falls to 12-11 overall and 1-4 in conference play.

Senior #Austin Blaski (Pandora/Gilboa)# dominated the Crusaders in the first game scattering three singles and not allowing a base runner into scoring position. Blaski (5-1) picked up his first complete-game shutout of the season as he struck out nine and didn't walk a hitter.

The Etta Express jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first and cruised to the victory on Blaski's arm.  Senior shortstop #Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance)# led the inning off with a base hit bunt and quickly stole second.

Fellow middle infielder, senior #Kirby Becker (South Euclid/St. Ignatius)# dropped down a sacrifice bunt moving Saunders to third. Junior centerfielder #Aaron Hopper (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg)# knocked in Saunders with a single to left. Following a pop up for the second out of the inning, freshman left fielder #Mitch Geers (West Chester/Lakota East)# doubled to right field advancing Hopper to third.

Freshman designated hitter #Clint Roche (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford)# delivered a two-out, two-run single through the right side of the infield scoring Hopper and Geers.

Geers made it 4-0 in favor of the Pioneers with a sacrifice fly in the third that scored Becker. Becker reached on a single and moved to second on a ground out and went to third on a base hit by junior first baseman #Evan Brockmeier#.

The Pioneers added three more in the fourth to extend the lead to 7-0. Junior catcher #Alex Toth (Painesville/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin)# started the rally with a double down the right field line. Junior third baseman #Bryan Gregorich (Chardon/Chardon)# singled to left putting runners on the corners with no outs.

Freshman right fielder #Matt Moormeier (Chesterland/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin)# scored Toth with a sac bunt. Saunders walked and then Hopper lined a double down the left field line that scored both Gregorich and Saunders.

Jeremy Finchum (4-2) started on the mound for Capital and took the loss. Finchum threw four innings and was charged with all seven runs. He allowed 10 hits with one walk. Jared Lee pitched the final three innings and faced one batter over the minimum. He struck out two.

Hopper went 2-for-3 with a double and three runs batted in. Gregorich was also 2-for-3 in the game, while Roche drove in two runs. Geers and Toth each had a double.

In the nitecap, Marietta again took the early lead. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Toth scored Roche giving the Pioneers a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

Marietta tacked on three more in the fourth and one in the fifth and sixth inningds to push its lead to 6-0.

Hopper doubled to start the fourth. Geers followed with a double scoring Hopper. Geers moved to third when the outfielder's throw got away from the Capital infielders.

Roche grounded out to short scoring Geers. Brockmeier singled and Saunders walked. Gregorich followed with a single that knocked in Brockmeier with the third run of the inning.

In the fifth, Becker reached on a walk and moved all the way to third base when the pickoff attempt ended up down the right field line. Geers singled to right driving in Becker. Saunders plated Toth in the sixth with a sac fly to center.

Senior #Brian Gasser (New Philadelphia/Indian Valley)# (5-1) was as dominating in the nitecap as Blaski was in the first game. Gasser threw seven innings and surrendered no runs on just two base hits. He walked one and struck out nine Crusaders.

Senior #Logan Lewis (Nashport/Tri-Valley)# threw the eighth and senior #Kyle Lindquist (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne)# pitched the ninth. Lewis allowed one hit and had one strikeout, while Lindquist retired three of the four hitters he faced allowing a runner on a hit batsman.

Geers paced the Pioneer offensive attack going 4-for-4 with a double and two runs batted in. Brockmeier went 3-for-4, while Hopper added a double.

Marietta hosts Washington and Jefferson in a single nine-inning non-conference game on Monday (April 9). First pitch is set for 7 p.m.