Leave the hat tricks to hockey.

St. Thomas (Minnesota) proved downright charming on its third straight try for a title by defeating Marietta, 8-4, at the Division III Baseball Championship May 29 in Grand Chute, Wisconsin.

The Tommies, 39-10, wanted no part of any three-peat as runner-up after having lost in the national final each of the past two seasons. And Brad Bonine was one of nine St. Thomas seniors chomping to end the streak.

"I never thought it would happen," Bonine said after going 3-for-5 in the title game, including a home run, three runs scored and four driven in. Bonine was voted the tournament's most outstanding player.

Added second baseman Jake Mauer, another four-year player, "I don't know if I can describe it. After being so close, it's like a fairy tale, really."

Bonine's homer capped a three-run seventh that broke open a close game. He finished with a 1.000 tournament slugging percentage to lead the field.

"The experience of being at the finals the last couple of years really helped us," St. Thomas coach Dennis Denning said. "So many of our players had been there for all three years and they knew what to expect. They knew they had to play their best game."

Marietta, playing for its fourth NCAA baseball crown, scored first in the first on Jay Coakley's RBI single to left.

But St. Thomas answered with a matching run in its half when Luke Sather legged out a run-scoring infield hit. The Tommies then added three more in the next frame, courtesy of Bonine's two-run double to the gap in left center and Mauer's RBI bunt single.

The Pioneers countered with single tallies in the fourth and fifth to make it 4-3. Coakley reached on an error in the fourth and eventually came around on a ground out. Marietta then bunched three straight two-out singles in the fifth, with Matt McLuckey's base hit driving home the run.

From there, winning pitcher Brian Whinnery permitted just one run on two hits over the final four innings. His perfect ninth ended with a fly out to Bonine in center that set off a celebration three seasons in the making.

"It wasn't like I was fooling a lot of them, especially later in the game," said Whinnery, who pitched his first two years for conference rival St. John's (Minnesota). The win capped a perfect postseason for Whinnery in which the junior lefthander went 4-0 with a 1.07 earned-run average in six appearances after a 2-4 record during the entire regular season.

Dusty Childress added an RBI double and scored twice for Marietta, 48-9-1, while St. Thomas received two hits, two runs scored and two driven in from shortstop Matt Buzzell.

"I'm real happy, but I'm happy for my players," Denning said. "I'm just happy these guys could win it, because they got the bragging rights for a year, anyway."

The title is the ninth NCAA team championship for St. Thomas, but the first since women's basketball in 1991.

Game No. 1

Ryan Costello and Jeff Schriber; Mike Carey, Eric Hayden (8), Garrett Shourds (9), Josh Dickey (9) and Tony Serna. W -- Costello. L -- Carey. E -- Dave Wurst (MS), Brian Menkin (C). DP -- Montclair St. 3. LOB -- Montclair St. 13, Chapman 8. 2B -- Schriber (MS), Alex Taylor (C). SB -- George Becker (MS), Adam Cerminaro (MS), Kyle Schoonover (C) 2. CS -- Wurst. HBP -- Brian Sanders (C), by Costello. WP -- Carey. PB -- Schriber. T -- 2:55. A -- 469.

Game No. 2

Derek Harman and Mike Russell; Matt DeSalvo and Jay Coakley. W -- DeSalvo. L -- Harman. E -- Mike Menke (M). DP -- Marietta 1. LOB -- Salisbury St. 6, Marietta 9. 2B -- Menke (M). 3B -- Justin Taylor (SS). SB -- Andy Coble (M). SH -- Matt McLuckey (M), Derek Pauley (M). HBP -- Coakley (M), by Harman. WP -- Harman. T -- 1:53. A -- 538.

Game No. 3

Brian Whinnery, Tom Kelly (9) and Kyle Olson; Adam Palmer, Rob Blumberg (9) and Chad Rock. W -- Whinnery. L -- Palmer. E -- Rock, Andy Brandt (IW). DP -- St. Thomas (Minn.) 1, Ill. Wesleyan 2. LOB -- St. Thomas (Minn.) 8, Ill. Wesleyan 4. 2B -- Brad Bonine (ST), Tom Carroll (ST), Ryan Benson (ST), Tony Wolverton (ST), Ryan Gilfillan (IW), Justin Cripe (IW). HR -- Carroll. SB -- Bonine, Casey Garven (ST). CS -- Wolverton, Olson, Jeremy Hunt (IW), Cripe. HBP -- Carroll, by Palmer. T -- 2:08. A -- 767.

Game No. 4

Ryan Adams, Pat Liddy (6), Erik Carlson (7), Colin Loveless (8), Alden Pelletier (8) and Peter L'Italien; Mike Howell and Tim Belz. W -- Howell. L -- Carlson. E -- Pat Toomey (SM), Adam Lemieux (SM), Brendan Chiavaro (CS). DP -- Cortland St. 1. LOB -- Southern Me. 4, Cortland St. 11. 2B -- Tyler Delorme (SM), Brian Marshall (SM), Cory Haggerty (CS). 3B -- Haggerty. HR -- Delorme. SB -- Chiavaro, Matt Christiana (CS). SF -- Brian Huber (CS). HBP -- Marshall, by Howell; Larry Williams (CS), by Adams; Christiana, by Adams; Belz, by Liddy. WP -- Howell. T -- 2:57. A -- 853.

Game No. 5

Andrew Tisdale, Eric Hayden (8) and Tony Serna; Chad Swiderski and Mike Russell, Kevin Hurney (9). W -- Swiderski. L -- Tisdale. E -- Brian Menkin (C), Serna, Tisdale. DP -- Chapman 1. LOB -- Chapman 2, Salisbury St. 7. HR -- Kevin Davis (SS). SB -- Chris Keane (SS). CS -- Jason Ewing (SS). HBP -- Russell, by Hayden. WP -- Hayden. T -- 2:08. A -- 701

Game No. 6

Steve Schilsky, Josh Ward (4), Steve Brook (6), Scott Schiller (7), Erik Zier (8) and Chad Rock; Mark Russell and Peter L'Italien. W -- Russell. L -- Schilsky. E -- Tony Merritt (IW) 2, Rock, Jeremy Hunt (IW), Kort Blumer (IW). DP -- Ill. Wesleyan 2, Southern Me. 2. LOB -- Ill. Wesleyan 7, Southern Me. 10. 2B -- Merritt, Tyler Delorme (SM), Andy Lang (SM), Jason Dority (SM). HR -- Pat Toomey (SM), Jody Curcuru (SM). SB -- Rock, Toomey, Lang, Brian Marshall (SM). WP -- Schilsky. T -- 2:24. A -- 896.

Game No. 7

Kris Buirley and Jay Coakley; Corey Hamman and Jeff Schriber. W -- Hamman; L -- Buirley. E -- Adam Cerminaro (MS). DP -- Marietta 1, Montclair St. 1. LOB -- Marietta 6, Montclair St. 9. 2B -- Craig Conway (MS), Scott Allan (MS). HR -- Scott Clark (MS). SB -- Dave Wurst (MS) 2, Conway. CS -- Todd Timmer (M). SH -- Dusty Childress (M), Timmer. SF -- Mike Menke (M). T -- 2:27. A -- 996.

Game No. 8

Phil Benante, Travis Byrnes (3), Mike Arias (6) and Tim Belz, Kalik Blanks (7); Bryan Edstrom, Rob Huckins (4) and Kyle Olson, Jim Nelson (9). W -- Huckins. L -- Benante. E -- Josh Horner (CS), Brian Huber (CS), Belz, Olson. DP -- Cortland St. 1. LOB -- Cortland St. 11, St. Thomas (Minn.) 14. 2B -- Tim Hunter (CS), Brad Bonine (ST), Jake Mauer (ST), Mark Fenstad (ST), John Bean (ST), Tony Wolverton (ST). 3B -- Wolverton. HR -- Bonine. SB -- Larry Williams (CS), Bonine, Wolverton. SH -- Ryan Benson (ST). SF -- Olson 2. HBP -- Tom Carroll (ST) 2, by Benante 2; Benson, by Arias. PB -- Belz 2, Nelson. T -- 3:22. A -- 1,176.

Game No. 9

Todd Southwick, Pat Liddy (4), Erik Carlson (7), Ryan Adams (8) and Peter L'Italien; Trey Lamb and Jay Coakley. W -- Lamb; L -- Carlson. E -- Adams, Todd Timmer (M). DP -- Marietta 1. LOB -- Southern Me. 6, Marietta 12. 2B -- Pat Toomey (SM), Brian Marshall (SM), L'Italien, Derek Pauley (M), Andy Coble (M). SB -- Matt McLuckey (M) 2, Coble. SH -- Timmer, Todd Yoder (M). T -- 2:25. A -- 775.

Game No. 10

Star Kriger and Mike Russell; Kyle Johnson, Anthony Sprague and Tim Belz. W -- Kriger. L -- Johnson. E -- Jason Ewing (SS), Russell, Kriger, Ben Albright (CS) 2, Travis Smith (CS), Sprague. DP -- Salisbury St. 3, Cortland St. 1. LOB -- Salisbury St. 11, Cortland St. 7. 2B -- Ewing, Andrew Colanero (SS), Albright. SB -- Ewing, Kevin Davis (SS), Chris Keane (SS), Mike Harbaugh (SS), Justin Taylor (SS). SH -- Harbaugh. SF -- Davis, Pat D'Auria (CS). WP -- Johnson. T -- 2:44. A -- 839.

Game No. 11

Scott Allan, Josh Pine (3), Jason Arre (5), Kevin Rakowski (5) and Jeff Schriber; Sean Lindstrom, Jon Marzolf (8), Adam Hunkins (8), Brian Whinnery (9) and Kyle Olson. W -- Lindstrom. L -- Pine. S -- Whinnery. E -- P.J. Baccarella (MS), Matt Buzzell (ST), Olson. LOB -- Montclair St. 8, St. Thomas (Minn.) 8. 2B -- Dave Wurst (MS), Allan, Schriber, Jake Mauer (ST), Nate Sundberg (ST). SB -- Scott Clark (MS) 2, Baccarella, Brad Bonine (ST), Buzzell, Tony Wolverton (ST). CS -- Allan. SH -- Luke Sather (ST), Casey Garven (ST). SF -- Mauer, Sundberg. HBP -- Olson, by Allan. WP -- Allan. PB -- Schriber. BK -- Lindstrom. T -- 3:13. A -- 929.

Game No. 12

Matt Roath and Mike Russell; Jeff Gogal and Jeff Schriber. W -- Gogal. L -- Roath. E -- Robbie Robeson (SS), Russell. DP -- Salisbury St. 1, Montclair St. 3. LOB -- Salisbury St. 5, Montclair St. 4. SB -- Chris Baran (MS). CS -- Kevin Davis (SS), Mike Harbaugh (SS), Dave Wurst (MS), Baran. HBP -- Wurst, by Roath. T -- 2:04. A -- 841.

Game No. 13

Matt DeSalvo, Jim Sharp (8), Scott Stocker (9), Dan May (9) and Jay Coakley; Mike Ramthun, Bryan Edstrom (6), Tom Kelly (7), Ben Blazovich (9) and Kyle Olson, Jim Nelson (8). W -- DeSalvo. L -- Ramthun. E -- Tom Carroll (M). DP -- St. Thomas (Minn.) 2. LOB -- Marietta 10, St. Thomas (Minn.) 9. 2B -- Coakley, Mike Deegan (M), Jake Mauer (ST), Carroll 2, Nelson. SB -- Dusty Childress (M) 2. CS -- Casey Garven (ST). SH -- Tony Wolverton (ST). SF -- Childress, Todd Timmer (M), Mark Fenstad (ST). HBP -- Deegan, by Ramthun; Matt Buzzell (ST), by DeSalvo. WP -- DeSalvo, May. PB -- Olson. T -- 3:24. A -- 1,064.

Game No. 14

Ryan Costello, Jason Arre (7), Kevin Rakowski (8) and Jeff Schriber; Kris Buirley and Jay Coakley. W -- Buirley. L -- Costello. E -- Dave Wurst (MS), P.J. Baccarella (MS), Mike Deegan (M). DP -- Montclair St. 2, Marietta 1. LOB -- Montclair St. 6, Marietta 7. 2B -- Brent Curtin (M). SH -- Frank Longo (MS), Mike Menke (M). CS -- Craig Conway (MS), George Becker (MS). PB -- Schriber, Coakley. T -- 2:17. A -- 743.

Championship game

E -- Carroll, Buzzell. LOB -- Marietta 7, St. Thomas (Minn.) 8. 2B -- Bonine, Buzzell. 3B -- Buzzell. HR -- Bonine. SH -- Coble, Sundberg, Buzzell. CS -- Timmer.

WP -- Whinnery. Umpires -- HP: Mike Parquette; 1B: John Ramsey; 2B: Bill Prange, 3B: Jeff Sill. T -- 2:25. A -- 771.