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Marietta College Athletics

Marietta College Athletics

MARIETTA PIONEERS

1986 National Championship Game 5

Marietta College NCAA Division III National Championships

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Oberhelman’s arm and Brandts’ bat send Marietta into 1986 title game

June 1, 1986
MARIETTA, Ohio — Despite coach Don Schaly’s protest, Marietta and Ithaca matched up on day three of the 1986 World Series with the Bombers needing just one victory to lock up the title. The Pioneers needed to defeat the undefeated Bombers once on Sunday and again on Monday to steal the national championship. The Etta Express, fresh off a solid victory over Montclair State earlier in the day, got a second straight pitching gem, this time from sophomore Steve Oberhelman. When combined with Mike Brandts’ performance at the plate, it was enough to give Marietta a 7-2 victory and set up a winner-takes-all match-up for the national championship.

Oberhelman (6-1) limited Ithaca, who entered averaging nearly 15 runs per game in the World Series, to two runs on 10 hits in the complete-game victory, the biggest win of his career. The Pioneer defense helped Oberhelman out by turning three double plays. Brandts also went a long way to calm the sophomore’s nerves by upping his World Series average to .589 (10-for-17) with a five hits — a triple, double and three singles — in five at-bats. Drew Witouski and Frank Schossler also had good games at the plate, adding two hits each.