APPLETON, Wis. – If the Marietta College Pioneers want to win back-to-back national championships for the first time in program history, they will have to do it the hard way after dropping a 3-1 decision to the University of St. Thomas Sunday (May 27) evening at Fox Cities Stadium. [Box Score]

Marietta College is no stranger to surviving in the loser's bracket. The Pioneers lost their second game of the Mideast Regional and were forced to win five games in three days to advance to the national finals. The Etta Express won national championships in 1983 and 1986 after falling into the loser's bracket early in the tournament.

“We have to think about what we did wrong and what we can do better to make sure this doesn't happen again,” Marietta Head Coach Brian Brewer said. “When we wake up tomorrow it's a new day and we have to get out here and get after it.”

St. Thomas junior Dylan Thomas (8-2) scattered seven hits, all singles, and went the distance on the mound for the win. He walked four and struck out seven.

“Gutsy is the first word that comes to mind,” Brewer said referring to Thomas. “He was really good, but I think he started getting tired in the middle innings. The last four innings he was pitching on a lot of guts.”

Thomas faced the minimum over the first four innings as the Pioneers could only get one ball out of the infield, a fly out to left field.

The Tommies plated two runs in the bottom of the third to take the early lead. One they would not relinquish the entire night.

Junior Jon Kinsel led off the inning with an infield single in the hole at shortstop. St. Thomas sacrificed Kinsel to second. Following a strikeout, center fielder Jack Hogan singled to right scoring Kinsel. Third baseman Charles Bruchu followed with a triple down the right field line plating Hogan.

Marietta cut the lead in half in the fifth inning when third baseman #Bryan Gregorich (Chardon/Chardon)# worked a bases loaded walk. Left fielder #Mitch Geers (West Chester/Lakota East)# reached on a one-out single up the middle, junior #Evan Brockmeier# walked and catcher #Alex Toth (Painesville/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin)# blooped a single into right to load the bases for Gregorich.

Geers and Toth both had two hits in the game for the Etta Express.

The Pioneers threatened in the seventh when Geers led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice by Brockmeier. Toth was credited with an infield single when the St. Thomas first and second baseman collided on a chopper to the right side.

When the ball squirted away, Geers tried to score but was thrown out at the plate by Thomas who alertly when after the ball and threw a strike to the catcher for the out.

Thomas then helped himself in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single up the middle giving the Tommies a 3-1 lead.

The Pioneers tried to mount a ninth inning comeback. Geers again got things rolling as he started the inning off with a walk. Brockmeier quickly singled to center.

After a failed bunt attempt was popped up for the first out, senior #Niko Stanislav (Olmsted Falls/Berea)# singled through the right side to load the bases. But, Thomas struck out the next two Pioneers to secure the win.

Marietta begins the long journey through the loser's bracket against Webster University (Mo.) on Monday (May 28) at 2:15 p.m. (Eastern).

Webster lost to Wheaton in the opening round by the score of 3-2. They eliminated Kean on Saturday with an 8-7 win. The Gorloks are 36-13 on the season.