Box Scores: Game 1 / Game 2

Millersville, Pa. — It was a complete effort Saturday afternoon as the Millersville softball team got the job done in the circle and at the plate. The Marauders handed visiting University of the Sciences in Philadelphia 4-1 and 9-2 defeats and have now won four in a row.

Millersville (9-9) opened the scoring in the second inning of game one. Senior Trisha Johnson reached on an error by 3B Laura Hamilton before crossing home on another Devils' (4-10) error. Jill Golomboski pushed the lead to 2-0 later in the inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Amy Kossyk.

In the third the Black and Gold perfected "small ball" to earn another run and a 3-0 lead. Shaina Briel walked to lead off the inning and was then moved to third by a sacrifice bunt and a fielder's choice. Johnson then singled in Briel as the Marauders gave starter Courtney Eckman some breathing room.

That breathing room would be extended in the fourth, as freshman catcher Kelly Fitzgerald stepped up and drilled the first home run of her career to left field to run the Marauders' lead to 4-0. Eckman (3-3) would need no more help on the afternoon, picking up her second straight win with another strong outing.

The sophomore from Lancaster, Pa. quickly and efficiently worked through the USP lineup, throwing her third complete game of the year. Eckman allowed just one run (in the seventh) on four hits and struck out one. She lowered her ERA to 1.51 on the season and has now allowed just one run in each of her last three starts.

Erin Degnan took the loss for USP allowing four runs on four hits in six innings.

The Marauders, riding the momentum of their game one win, got another early contribution in game two. Briel, a senior, popped her first home run of the season in the bottom of the first and Millersville jumped out to the 1-0 advantage.

USP would answer, however, picking up two runs in the top half of the second. After collecting a pair of singles, Mia Crotti grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Brittany Brown to tie the game at one. The Devils would then take their first lead of the day when a Fitzgerald throw down to third base went into left field and Crotti trotted home to make it 2-1.

MU didn't waste much time in tying the game, as Ally Homa singled to start the home half of the third and eventually scored on a Casey Coker sacrifice fly. Millersville's Brittany Peterson and USP's Rachel Morgan would work through the fourth unscathed, but the Marauders got to Morgan in a big way in the fifth.

The Marauders put up a seven spot on the MU Softball Field scoreboard in the fifth behind a 2-RBI double from Briel, a Fitzgerald sacrifice fly, a Johnson RBI double, and a 2-RBI single from freshman Sam Jackson. The big inning chased Morgan from the game, as she was relieved by Gina Murray and the Black and Gold had now built a 7-run cushion.

Peterson allowed no runs over the final two innings, earning the win and improving her record to 3-1 on the season. The freshman allowed just four hits and two runs on the afternoon, while striking out one USP batter.

Briel had a fantastic afternoon, finishing 3-of-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs. She came up just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Homa was 2-for-3 and scored twice, as seven MU batters came up with at least one hit in game two. The squad has now recorded 10 hits or more in 9-of-18 games this season

Millersville returned to .500 at 9-9 and has won six of its last eight. The Marauders don't have much time to recover as they travel to Columbia Union for a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon. MU returns home Wednesday when it hosts Lincoln (Pa.).