HOT SPRINGS --- For most teams, an uncharacteristic off day from your staff ace spells doom, especially in a single-elimination state tournament. But the 2022 Marion Patriots aren't most teams. So when Arkansas State signee and staff ace Chase Armstrong worked just one inning, while issuing two hit batsmen and handing out a walk, Coach Pete Prater went to sophomore Davis York, who threw the final five frames to nail down a 10-0 Marion run-rule victory in six innings. The Patriots (26-5 overall) advance to the quarterfinals for the second straight season, and for the third time in four full seasons under Prater. Marion will play Benton on Friday evening at 5:30 at Majestic Park. York fired five shutout innings at White Hall to earn the victory. The sophomore struck out four Bulldogs, and allowed just one hit, and one walk. White Hall junior southpaw Ryan Ursery, an Arkansas-Little Rock commit, absorbed the loss. "Davis has been throwing the ball well, and I trust about all of our pitchers right now," said Prater. "Smiley (Armstrong) and Sunshine (Ben Gerrard) have been those guys, but that doesn't mean we don't like what the other guys can give us. Davis is a sophomore coming into a state tournament game, but he threw the crap out of the ball." Easing the transition from Armstrong to York was a Marion small-ball bonanza in the bottom of the first inning, when the Pats marched eight batters to the plate and scored four times. Lead-off man and centerfielder Gage Watson, a Missouri signee, struck a solid single and advanced to second on Matthew Kearney's sacrifice bunt. Catcher Dylan Kight walked and immediately gave way to courtesy runner Carson Catt. Watson and Catt executed a textbook double steal and scored the first two runs of the game on passed balls for a 2-0 Marion advantage. Leftfielder Luke Bullins chased in first baseman Connor Taylor with a single for a 3-0 lead, and the Pats capped their first-inning scoring when Payton Voyles dropped a perfect squeeze bunt to plate Bullins for a 4-0 lead after a frame. A pair of Marion web gems kept White Hall off the scoreboard in the middle innings. With two outs in the top of the second, Voyles made a diving stop and made an accurate throw to first to end the inning. The second standout defensive play came in the third when Bullins pulled back in a home run in left field to maintain the shutout. While York shoved on the mound, he helped his own cause in the bottom of the second when he hit a solo home run with two outs that pushed the Pats up 5-0. That tally held until the bottom of the sixth when Marion struck for five more runs to put the Bulldogs away. Senior Kaleb Catt doubled leading off the sixth before Watson plated him with a single. York and Kight walked to load the bases, which set the stage for Armstrong to pound a double that scored two for an 8-0 Marion lead. Kearney singled to plate Kight and when Voyles' base hit scored Armstrong, Marion clinched a 10-0 conquest that represented the 18th time that the Pats have held an opponent to one run or fewer, and it was their 11th shutout. "In these state tournament games, sometimes you have to find different ways to score," said Prater. "We did good early on, then kinda hit a lull after the home run by Davis, but then we strung some together there later on. I'm proud of how the guys responded that way." Gerrard will likely start Friday's quarterfinal contest against Benton. Gerrard has crafted a 1.72 ERA this spring and has struck out 74 batters, while walking only 19. He's allowed 15 runs in 2022, but only 11 have been earned. Gerrard logged a 6-1 record starting the second game of Marion's conference doubleheaders.