The Marion soccer clubs took another step towards clinching a state tournament berth on Tuesday evening by recording shutouts against their county rival. The Marion Lady Patriots outlasted West Memphis 7-0, while the Patriot boys blanked the Blue Devils 6-0, completing a season sweep of West Memphis for each club. Marion senior twin sisters Victoria Whited and Emma Whited paced the Lady Pats with three goals and two goals, respectively. Jenesis Vann and Alivia Hampton each scored one goal apiece. “Every conference game for us is a big game, and this one was no exception,” said Marion girls coach Chris Paslay. “We're in the thick of the hunt for a state tournament bid and it was nice to pick up a win to further us toward that goal.” In the nightcap, Marion senior Dylan Pieri torched West Memphis for three goals, while Ivan Gamez, Marcus Leonard, and Tim Smith each tallied one. It was Smith's first varsity goal. “We did a good job of applying pressure to their defense with penetrating passes,” said Marion boys coach Matt Johengen. “Their goalie did an excellent job of closing down angles and forcing us to take difficult shots. We did an excellent job of hunting rebounds as a team and it paid off for us.” Marion's attention now turns to Friday's home match against Batesville at Premier Bank Stadium. The girls' match kicks at 5 p.m., with the boys' match following at approximately 7 p.m. The Marion girls played Batesville to a 2-2 draw in their first meeting on April 1, while the Batesville boys earned a 1-0 victory in Independence County. “Our teams are neck and neck for third place right now and pulling out a win would give us an opportunity to take a step toward reaching some important goals,” said Paslay.