PARAGOULD --- Marion's baseball coaching staff has believed all year that the 2022 season could be a special one. On Wednesday night here at Francis Bland Park, the Patriots brought the vision to reality. Marion (25-5 overall, 13-1 5A East) clinched the second conference title in school history (previous in 2018), as well as the first regular-season pennant since the program began in 1978 by sweeping a game Greene County Tech (16-8, 8-6) outfit 5-0 and 6-0. The sweep of Tech extended Marion's winning streak to 12 consecutive games. Marion will open the 2022 Class 5A state baseball tournament as the No. 1 seed from the East against the No. 4 seed from the 5A South, which is currently projected to be either Sheridan (18-10, 9-4) or White Hall (13-10, 8-5). Every Marion game at the state baseball tournament in Hot Springs will be streamed live on MarionPatriots.com and on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app. “This group has come a long way since they were in seventh grade, and they've even come a long way since March,” said fifth-year Marion coach Pete Prater. “It was rough early on for us, and it'll never be easy. What I liked about tonight is we did what it took to win a couple of ballgames. If we can do that four more times this year, I may have a heart attack at some point, but I'll be happy.” While Marion's offense continues to trend upward, the Patriot pitching staff has been nails all spring. Senior Arkansas State signee Chase Armstrong and senior right-hander Ben Gerrard took Tech to the torture chamber on Wednesday night with the pennant on the line. Armstrong started the first game and worked 6.1 innings, striking out 12 Eagles while issuing three walks and surrendering just one hit. Junior Jett Sutton finished the game by striking out the final two Tech batters to clinch the 5-0 victory. It was Gerrard's time to shine in the nightcap, and the starter fired five innings at Tech, striking out a career-high 14 batters, issuing four walks, and allowing just three hits. Sophomore Davis York retired the final six Tech batters in order, including three on strikes, to clinch the series and the conference championship for the Pats. Marion has recorded 10 shutouts this season, and the Pats have allowed one run or less 17 times. “When they pop out there on that mound, we feel really confident, like we have a chance to win one way or the other,” said Prater. “We still have to do more things right, we're always looking to get better, but we can hang our hat on our pitching and defense.” Armstrong and Tech starter Camden Farmer swapped zeroes for four innings in the lid-lifter, when Marion finally broke through in the fifth when seniors Connor Brinkley and Kaleb Catt walked and advanced to second and third on a Gage Watson sacrifice fly. The Pats broke through when Brinkley scored on a passed ball and Marion took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth. The Pats put the game away with a four-run sixth inning when senior Dylan Kight doubled, Armstrong walked, and Luke Bullins drove in courtesy runner Carson Catt with a fielder's choice. Connor Taylor plated Armstrong with a sac fly before Brinkley and Catt drove in runs with hits to cap the scoring at 5-0. The nightcap followed a similar script until Marion got going in the bottom of the third, when senior Payton Voyles singled, moved to second on an error, and slid to third on a Brinkley groundout. Watson plated Voyles with a clutch two-out hit and a 1-0 Marion advantage. Bullins walked leading off the fourth and came around on a Kight triple, and Taylor grounded out to bring Carson Catt to the plate for a 3-0 Marion bulge after four frames. Kight was hit by a pitch leading off the sixth inning, which set the stage for a towering Armstrong home run to left-center field that gave Marion a five-run lead. Landon Miller scored on a passed ball to conclude the scoring.