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`Millersville’s baseball team competed in a four game series with conference foe Shippensburg University over the weekend and split the series after dropping two of the games on Friday before taking back the next two on Sunday.
Millersville managed to squeeze in all four games during a wet weekend and headed into the new week with a record of 16-15, including 5-7 in conference play. The team currently sits at fifth place in the PSAC East with just six more conference games scheduled to finish out the regular season.
The Marauders traveled to Shippensburg on Friday and dropped both of their games by scores of 6-3 and 9-1. Freshman Jason Long got the start in the first game for Millersville and quieted the Red Raiders’ bats for the most part in the first three innings leaving the teams tied at one a piece.
However, Shippensburg began to take control in the bottom of the fourth after becoming acclimated with Long’s pitching.
The Red Raiders tallied two runs in the fourth and, after Millersville responded with one of their own to stay within one, Shippensburg’s Tyler Reddick put the game out of reach with a three-run blast. The home run put Shippensburg up 6-2, and Millersville could muster only one run in the top of the seventh and finished with a 6-3 loss.
In the second game the Marauders did not fare any better. Millersville managed a run in the first inning, but none the rest of the way, as Shippensburg piled in the runs en route to a 9-1 win.
Millersville was set to avenge their losses the following day at home, but inclement whether in the area forced the Marauders to wait until Sunday because the game was postponed.
Millersville's catcher junior Miles Gallagher lays down a tag during a play at the plate in the seventh inning to help preserve a win over Shippensburg on Sunday. Photo by: Christian Shuts.
Junior Forrest Mengle pitched yet another gem in the first game. Mengle pitched all seven innings surrendering eight hits and only one run as he improved his record to 5-1 on the season to go with a 2.15 era.
Seniors Andy Dochterman and Scott Slembecker each drove in runs in the bottom of the sixth to provide Mengle with a small lead heading in to the top half of the seventh. After surrendering two hits, Shippensburg hit another single to left field but after a perfect relay Millersville gunned the runner out at home as Mengle got the last out to earn the win.
Sophomore Derek Kline made his third career start on the mound in the second game and pitched a fantastic game of his own. Kline surrendered two unearned runs and only one hit. Kline earned the win after five and a half innings as the game was called midway through the sixth before the Marauders took to the plate due to the severe thunderstorms that blew through Lancaster county.
Taking back both games were huge for Millersville as they start to eye a playoff spot as the season continues to wind down. “It was very important for us to get those two wins from Shippensburg,” said senior Lance Miller. “Without [the wins] we would be way behind Kutztown and they’re smoking everybody right now.” Millersville is currently in fifth place in the PSAC East, and only the top four teams make the postseason.
“We’re still taking it one game at a time, we just have to keep doing the little things, that’s what postseason teams do,” Miller said.