West Lawn, Pa. - Millersville freshman Cordell Shannon looked like a hardened veteran in Sunday's NCAA Atlantic Regional semifinal game against No. 18 Mercyhurst. The rookie tossed six strong innings, received some help from the bullpen and timely hitting from his offense to push the Marauders past the Lakers 6-3 and into the regional championship game for the third consecutive season.

The Marauders (49-5) are now one win away from one of eight berths to Cary, N.C., and await the winner of Saturday's late game. The unbeaten Marauders will have two opportunities on Monday to win the regional championship. It is the fourth time since 2011 that Millersville has a chance to play for the regional title.

Millersville got on the board in the bottom of the first inning by loading the bases with two hits and a walk. Dan Stoltzfus grounded into a double play but Tyler Orris crossed the plate for the game's first run. That 1-0 lead remained until the sixth.

In the meantime, Shannon (8-1), the PSAC East Freshman of the Year, worked his way out of jams in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings. Each inning, the Lakers put a runner on base and twice the leadoff hitter reached base. Shannon stranded a runner on third with a strikeout in the fourth, and in the fifth, Ted Williams made a nifty play on a ball hit up the middle.

The Lakers evened the score in the sixth. Clean up hitter Hank Morrison led off with a triple to right center and came home on Daniel Elliot's sacrifice fly. But the Marauders answered right back in the bottom of the frame. Chas McCormick, who totaled three hits, jump-started the inning with a single and steal. McCormick later scored on a Stoltzfus RBI single. Musser reached on a walk and the two base runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Ben Snyder drove in both a double to right center, boosting Millersville's lead to 4-1. Ted Williams added the inning's fourth run with a RBI ground out.

The Marauders went to the bullpen in the seventh and worked out of a bases loaded jam when Matt Ulrich got Morrison to fly out. But in the eighth, Sabatino DiNardo hit a two-run homer to cut Millersville's lead to 5-3. But again, Millersville answered. A throwing error with two errors allowed Musser to score his second run of the game.

Marauder rookie Mike Mock came on the ninth, pitched a 1-2-3 inning and struck out the final batter for his fourth save of the season.

McCormick went 3-for-4, Orris went 1-for-3 with a run and walk. Snyder went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Snyder extended his hitting streak to nine games, and has at least two hits in eight. He is 12-for-24 in six postseason games.

Shannon allowed one run on five hits and a walk while striking out four.

Sunday's meeting was 11th between Millersville and Mercyhurst since 2011. The Marauders improved to 7-4, including 4-1 in regional play. If Mercyhurst advances to Monday, it will be the third time since 2011 that the two clubs have played for the regional title.

Fans can listen live to every pitch Monday on MSBN.