So far in 2022, the Marion Patriot baseball team has beaten starting pitchers who are committed or have signed with SEC powers Ole Miss and Arkansas. On Saturday afternoon at John Robbins Field at First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas Stadium, the Pats added Tennessee to the list. Marion (23-5 overall, 11-1 5A East) managed just two hits but manufactured a pair of runs in a 2-1 victory over Briarcrest Christian. Marion sophomore right-hander Davis York outdueled Briarcrest starter and Tennessee commit Matthew Dallas. York fired five innings at Briarcrest, striking out four and surrendering just one hit to earn the victory. Senior righty Ben “Sunshine” Gerrard took over in the sixth with two runners on and escaped a jam to earn the save. Gerrard worked the last 1.2 innings, struck out a pair, issued one walk, and allowed one hit. The Patriots play Tuesday at Greene County Tech in a varsity doubleheader. Should Marion sweep Tech, the Pats would earn at least a share of their first regular-season conference championship in school history, as well as the No. 1 seed in the state tournament. The Briarcrest contest moved scoreless to the bottom of the third inning, when Gerrard reached on an error ahead of senior shortstop Connor Brinkley's bunt single, giving the hosts two on with nobody out. Senior centerfielder and lead-off man Gage Watson drew a walk ahead of a Matthew Kearney walk that plated the game's first run. A Dylan Kight ground out brought Brinkley to the dish, and Marion had broken through against the Briarcrest left-hander whose best fastball on Saturday touched 92 miles an hour. While Marion's offense finally broke through in the third, York had Briarcrest in a chokehold after allowing his only hit in the second. The righty retired the last eight Saints he faced. Briarcrest strung together three straight hits in the top of the sixth, including an RBI double by Jack Newman that gave the Saints runners on second and third with just one out. Enter Gerrard, who's started the second game of every varsity conference doubleheader so far this spring. Gerrard induced a pop-out on the first batter he faced before issuing an intentional walk to load the bases. The senior hurler registered a strikeout to strand the bases loaded and end the sixth-inning threat. Gerrard worked around a two-out single in the seventh to nail down the save. Marion is scheduled to play on Tuesday at Greene County Tech, weather permitting. The baseball and softball doubleheaders will be streamed live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app.