Appleton, WI –  Sometimes, a starting pitcher may become worried about his arm tightening up while sitting in the dugout if his teammates have a big inning at the plate.

But how about having to wait overnight?

That's what Marietta College starting pitcher Mike DeMark had to do in his effort against Montclair State University at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.

After two weather delays on Saturday night, the game was postponed after two-and-a-half innings and resumed on Sunday morning. And despite the long delay, DeMark tied a season-high with 11 strikeouts in six innings of work, leading his Pioneers to a 7-4 triumph over the Red Hawks.

With the win, Marietta (41-11) remains in the winner's bracket in pursuit of its fourth national title in its 18th appearance in the national finals. The Pioneers will face Chapman University (33-11) later Sunday at 7:45 p.m. in the winner's bracket final, with the winner advancing to Tuesday's final games assured of a top-two national finish.

Meanwhile, Montclair State (34-18-2) drops to face Eastern Connecticut State University (36-19) in an elimination-bracket game on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

DeMark pitched the ninth inning in relief to pick up a save in Marietta's 2-1 win over Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Friday, then got the call to start Saturday's game. He kept the Red Hawks hitless over the first five innings, before a single by BRIAN BUTLER broke up the no-hit bid to lead off the sixth.

"Yesterday, I thought he was throwing the ball really well. He came out this morning and said he felt good," said Marietta head coach Brian Brewer. "Obviously, health and safety is our No. 1 concern, and we checked with him this morning when he woke up, he felt good. Once he got here, he threw the ball around and said he felt really good."

DeMark said he wasn't worried about the overnight delay; he was more worried about the warm and humid weather conditions that greeted the two teams on Sunday morning.

"The heat this morning was bad on me, especially after last night and the delays - pitch an inning, come in and sit for 45 minutes and go back out there again," DeMark said.

The Pioneers scored five runs in the first two innings before the severe weather hit the area on Saturday night and delayed the game.

In the first, sophomore Justin Steranka hit his team-leading seventh home run of the season, a three-run blast to left field.

"It was very big," Brewer said. "If he makes up his mind that he's going to get a good pitch and shows some life in the barrel, that's what he does."

"I went up there just looking to drive the ball, maybe get a double. When I first hit it, I knew I hit it solid, but I didn't think it was going to clear the fence, so I was thinking double all the way," said Steranka, who went 2-for-4 at the plate. "It was a great start, and other guys picked us up from there."

In the second, Chris Hendricks smacked a leadoff double to the right-center gap, then came around to score after Ryan Belanger reached base on a throwing error on a sacrifice-bunt attempt. A sacrifice fly by Jarrod Klausman plated another run for the Pioneers.

When the game resumed in the bottom of the third inning, Marietta's DeMark returned to the mound and kept his no-hit bid going. In the fifth, Montclair State put the first two runners on base via walks, and a sacrifice bunt and MICHAEL NUNES sacrifice fly enabled the Red Hawks to score, cutting the lead to 5-1.

In the bottom of the fifth, a hit and walk put two runners aboard, and after a passed ball, an RBI infield single by Lee Guerrera gave the Pioneers a 6-1 advantage.

Three straight singles loaded the bases for Montclair State in the sixth, and a run came across on a double-play grounder. Another run came across on a single up the middle by LOU POLITAN.

Marietta's Belanger led off the sixth inning with a double down the left-field line. A walk and single later, a sacrifice fly by Joe Litke plated a run.

Jason Baumler replaced DeMark in the seventh and pitched three innings of relief to claim the save.

ROB BOWNESS went 3-for-5 for Montclair State, while ROBERT CLARK had two hits.