WEST MEMPHIS --- You'd be hard pressed to find a hotter team than the Marion Patriots over the past three weeks. On Tuesday afternoon, the West Memphis Blue Devils found out the hard way. Playing at the new West Memphis Blue Devil Sports Complex, Marion took its county neighbors back to the dead-ball era in a 5A East doubleheader, hurling a pair of shutouts at the West Memphians, taking down victories of 6-0 and 10-0. MHS has now won seven of its last eight games, including four in a row in conference action to rejoin the playoff picture. Marion senior right-hander Cohen Bumbaugh got the Pats off on the right foot in the lid-lifter, spinning five no-hit innings at the Blue Devils, striking out 12 batters and walking just one. It was the eighth time that Bumbaugh has thrown a no-hitter, or left the game without allowing a hit in his last 12 conference starts, dating back to March 2024. Marion muscled out 11 hits on offense in the first game, led by Robert Hall (2-4 with two runs scored), Brody Byrd (2-4 with a run and an RBI), and Myles Holt (2-3 with a run and an RBI), who each recorded multiple hits. The Pats busted the game open in the top of the third, scoring three times for a 4-0 lead, before coasting to the final. Marion (12-8 overall, 6-4 5A East) rolled up 16 hits in the nightcap, scoring multiple runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings to account for its 10 runs. Right-hander Coleman Barnett earned the victory in the second contest after working six innings, striking out eight Blue Devils, and allowing just three hits. Eight of the nine Marion offensive starters came up with at least one hit, while Max Molloy (2-4 in the second game with two runs and an RBI), Carson Catt (3-4 with a run), Byrd (2-3 with four RBI), Hudson McKewen (2-4 with two RBI and a run), and Barnett (4-4 with an RBI and a run) each logged multiple hits. Hall drove in two runs in the second game, while Bumbaugh walked twice and scored twice. Marion picked up an unearned run in the top of the second inning in game one, and the Patriots doubled the lead in the top of the third when Molloy doubled home Holt and Bumbaugh delivered Molloy on a sacrifice bunt for a 3-0 Marion bulge. The lead hit 4-0 when Byrd tripled in Hall, and that tally held until the fourth, when Holt singled home Barnett with the Pats' fifth run of the day. In the top of the fifth, Marion picked up another unearned run for a 6-0 lead, and Ben Bateman slammed the door from there, spinning the final two innings, striking out two batters and allowing just one hit. Marion got the offense on track in the bottom of the third in the second contest, when Hall doubled in Molloy and Bumbaugh with the game's first two runs, and a Byrd hit plated Hall for a 3-0 Marion lead after three. A Molloy hit delivered Barnett in the bottom of the fourth, and Marion's lead hit 5-0 when Byrd accepted a bases-loaded walk to force in Molloy entering the fifth frame. Byrd's double delivered Catt and Bumbaugh in the bottom of the sixth for a 7-0 lead, and a two-run McKewen single plated Tyler Mann and Jude Jackson for a 9-0 Marion advantage. A Barnett double chased McKewen to give Marion a 10-0 lead, which ended the game under the sportsmanship rule. WHAT'S NEXT? Marion hosts non-conference games on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week. Briarcrest Christian visits Marion on Thursday afternoon, followed by a home date on Friday against Dyer County, followed by a Saturday game with Covington. The Thursday Briarcrest game is a junior varsity/varsity doubleheader that will begin at 4:30, with the varsity contest beginning around 6:30. The Dyer County game is also a junior varsity/varsity double-dip and will be played at the same time. The Covington game will begin with the varsity game at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning, followed by the junior varsity contest around noon. Marion continues 5A East play on Tuesday, April 29, at Batesville. You can watch the Batesville doubleheader for free on the MPAN YouTube channel, at MarionPatriots.com, or on the MPAN mobile app, with first pitch scheduled for 4:30 p.m. 5A EAST RESULTS FROM 4/22 Marion 6, W. Memphis 0 Marion 10, W. Memphis 0 Valley View 2, Greene Co. Tech 1 Valley View 8, Greene Co. Tech 1 Searcy 7, Batesville 6 Searcy 15, Batesville 5 Paragould 2, Nettleton 0 Nettleton 6, Paragould 2 5A EAST STANDINGS ON 4/23 SCHOOL CONF. RECORD Valley View 10-0+ Searcy 8-2+ Greene Co. Tech 7-3 Marion 6-4 Paragould 4-6 Batesville 3-7 Nettleton 2-8 W. Memphis 0-10 +clinched playoff berth The top four teams qualify for the state tournament in Benton, May 15-17. 5A EAST SERIES ON 4/29 Marion at Batesville Greene Co. Tech at Searcy Paragould at Valley View Nettleton at W. Memphis