APPLETON, Wis. – With a brilliant pitching performance from senior #Mike Mahaffey (Worthington/Bishop Watterson)#, the Marietta College Pioneers advance to the National Championship game for the 13th time in program history.

The Etta Express blanked St. Thomas 5-0 to reach the title game. Mahaffey picked up the win tossing 8 innings of four-hit baseball. He issued just one walk and struck out seven.

Marietta improves to 47-8 on the season and St. Thomas ends the year with a 41-10 record. The win also avenged a 3-1 loss to the Tommies on Sunday. The Pioneers have exacted revenge on all eight teams that have beaten them this year.

Senior All-American shortstop #Tim Saunders (Alliance/Alliance)# went 4-for-4 at the plate and scored three runs, while freshman left fielder #Mitch Geers (West Chester/Lakota East)# was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs batted in. Junior center fielder #Aaron Hopper (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg)# also collected two hits in four at bats.

Senior #Kyle Lindquist (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne)# pitched the final inning for the Pioneers.

Marietta will go for back-to-back national championships for the first time in program history when they face Wheaton College at 3:30 p.m. (Eastern) today (Wednesday).

The Pioneers have won an NCAA-best five national titles and their 13 championship game appearances is also an NCAA record.

Marietta defeated Wheaton Tuesday night by the score of 6-5 in 10 innings as Saunders was issued a bases loaded walk.