Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Millersville, Pa. - Over the course of 48 games, a berth to the playoffs can hinge on one game or even one run. Sometimes that one run is scored in a game played by two teams on a field 120 miles away. That was the case for Millersville Saturday as it did all it could to secure a PSAC Tournament bid by sweeping 10th-ranked Kutztown, but East Stroudsburg earned the final spot and kept the Marauders at home by edging Mansfield 5-4 in the final game of the regular season.

Millersville (22-25, 11-13 PSAC East) entered Saturday's home doubleheader knowing it needed some help from Mansfield to reach the postseason, but first and foremost, it had to win two against Kutztown.  Millersville received a virtuoso pitching effort from Ryan Stauffer and a walk-off single in the 11th inning from Ryan McCormick for a 3-2 win in the opener. Then in game two, Brooks Rothschild stymied one of the PSAC's top offenses for a complete-game shutout and 6-0 win.

Senior catcher Miles Gallagher turned in a nearly perfect Senior Day effort, going 6-for-7 at the plate with two walks, two RBIs and a run scored. He reached base in all nine plate appearances--once on an error. He took first after a line drive hit directly to Kutztown shortstop Mike Kacelowicz was dropped.

One day after scoring 29 runs in two wins over the Marauders, Kutztown (35-11, 16-8 PSAC East) scored two in the first inning of game one but was held scoreless over the final 17 innings of the doubleheader. The Kutztown losses coupled with West Chester's victories over Shippensburg also gave the PSAC East crown to West Chester.

Runs were hard to come by in the opener. Kutztown touched Stauffer for two runs on four hits in the top of the first. Stauffer, however, quickly settled and battled his way through 9.1 innings, throwing 154 pitches and scattering 10 hits and allowing just two runs.

Millersville sent the game to extra innings using two RBI singles from Ryan Chesler--one in the third and one in the sixth. Kutztown threatened to take the lead in the top of the 10th, putting two runners on base with just one out. Millersville turned to reliever Zach Eckley (2-1), who promptly recorded two fly outs to the end the inning.

After another scoreless inning by both teams, Adam Boyd jump-started the Millersville offense in the 11th with a lead-off single. Senior Kent Gerdes drew a walk, but the following two Marauders failed to advance the runners. McCormick stepped in with two outs, and on a 1-2 pitch, he ripped a slicing line drive to center. The speedy Boyd raced home from second.

While the Marauders were busy closing out a dramatic extra-inning victory, their playoff hopes were momentarily kept alive when Mansfield scored six runs in the final inning to topple ESU, 6-5. The improbable sweep of Kutztown and Mansfield sweep of ESU was in sight.

In game two, Rothschild turned in his best pitching performance of the season. The sophomore silenced the Golden Bear bats and handed them just their second shutout defeat of the season. Rothschild (3-1) allowed just four hits and two walks while fanning five.

Millersville broke open a scoreless game with four runs in the bottom of the third. Freshman Jeff Heisey started the run with a double, McCormick was hit by a pitch, and Corey Phelan beat out a bunt single to load the bases. Derek Kline plated two with a single to left. Gallagher followed with an RBI single of his own, and Boyd drove in the fourth run with a sacrifice fly.

Millersville scored another in the fifth by capitalizing on two Kutztown errors and two hit batsman. Gallagher padded Millersville's lead with another RBI single in the sixth.

Rothschild allowed one hit the seventh but a diving snag by second baseman Mike DeSanto ended Kutztown's inning and sealed the win for the Marauders.

Corey Phelan scored three of Millersville's six runs.

Unfortunately for the Marauders, East Stroudsburg broke a 4-4 tie with Mansfield with one run in the sixth inning of game two and held on to clinch the playoff spot.

Along with Gallagher and Stauffer, third baseman Kent Gerdes and starting pitcher Forrest Mengle also appeared at the Millersville University Baseball Stadium for the final time. The seniors helped Millersville to 70 wins and a PSAC East title in the last three seasons after the program had won just 37 games in the previous three years.

Gallagher's final weekend upped his batting average to a team-high .310. He closed his senior campaign as the team leader in average, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs, total bases and slugging percentage. Despite not receiving a decision in his game one effort, Stauffer led Millersville in wins and posted a team-best 3.14 ERA in 2010. Mengle carried the Marauders on the mound for the bulk of 2010, turning in four complete games and allowing opponents to hit just .222. Gerdes started 39 games at third base and produced career highs in hits, runs, homers and RBIs.