Winston-Salem, N.C. - After being held in check by Winston-Salem State starter Nate Steger in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader, the No. 18 Millersville baseball team manufactured just enough to top the Rams for a 4-3 win in the nightcap. The Rams took the opener by a 4-2 score.
Millersville (2-1) was limited to three hits in game one and was shutout over the final 2.2 innings by the Rams' (1-2) bullpen.
Ted Williams, with a double and single, produced two of his team's three hits. Williams, who has at least one hit in all of his team's games, recorded another hit in game two and scored the eventual game-winning run in the top of the sixth. Millersville totaled nine hits and drew five walks.
Freshman
Cordell Shannon, despite striking out nine and not walking a batter in his Marauder debut, took the loss in the opener after allowing four runs--three earned--on eight hits in 5.2 innings.
Matt Ulrich picked up the game two win out of the bullpen, striking out three and allowing a run and three hits in two innings.
Jim McDade gave up one earned run and two total over four innings in the no decision.
Logan Grant notched the first save of his career.
Millersville and Winston-Salem State close the four-game series on Sunday afternoon.
GAME ONE (WSS 4, VILLE 2)The opener belonged to Nate Steger. The starter not only picked up the mound win after limiting Millersville to two hits and two runs over 6.1 innings, he also went 2-for-3 at the dish, hitting a solo homer in the sixth that helped push his team to a 4-0 lead. He gave himself a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a RBI single. On the hill, Steger allowed only three Marauders to reach scoring position until the seventh.
Trailing 4-0, Millersville finally broke through
Tyler Orris doubled in
Ben Snyder and Williams, who both drew free passes. The two runs were credited to Steger but were allowed in by reliever Devin McLemore. McLemore quickly settled and escaped with the inning without further damage, stranding Orris on third base. Millersville went down order in the eighth and ninth innings.
After a rocky first inning that included three hits and an error committed during the first at bat of the game, Shannon gained composure and cruised through the next four frames, allowing just two hits while striking six batters between the second and fifth.
Tanner Rahauser, who missed all of 2015 with a should injury, made his first appearance in nearly two seasons and struck out one to end the sixth.
Stephen Muscovitch pitched two shutout innings.
GAME TWO (VILLE 4, WSS 3)Winston-Salem State once again took advantage of a Marauder error to score in the first inning. The Rams put four runners aboard in the inning, but McDade was aided by
Mitch Stoltzfus throwing out a base stealer. Millersville momentarily took the lead in the top of the fourth.
Jeremy Musser, who drew four walks in the twinbill, and Stoltzfus hit back-to-back singles. Musser swiped second and scored on Stoltzfus' knock.
David Summerfield, making his first start of the season, ripped a double to the opposite field that scored Stoltzfus.
Millersville built the lead to 3-1 the following inning when
Chas McCormick scored on a wild pitch. But the Rams tied the game in the bottom of the inning, scoring one run on a Philip Page RBI single and another on a sacrifice fly. In the top of the sixth, Millersville put pressure on the Ram defense with Williams hitting a leadoff single and moving to third on Orris' bunt single and
Dan Neff's fielder's choice. Williams then put the Marauders on top for good when Eric Corlett uncorked a wild pitch. Corlett did not record an out in his sixth inning effort, allowing two hits and the winning run.
Ulrich, who had allowed one run in the fifth, navigated through the sixth, stranding a runner. Grant then entered in the seventh and struck out three of the four batters he faced.
Musser reached base three times with two walks and a single. Stoltzfus produced two singles, a RBI and a run scored.
