West Lawn, Pa. - After ending the previous two seasons on the doorstep, the Millersville University baseball team kicked down the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship door Monday in West Lawn. Behind eight strong innings from senior starter Jim McDade, the Marauders beat Mercyhurst 6-2 to advance to the NCAA Division II Championship.

Mercyhurst was the very team that ended Millersville's 2015 season and Colin McKee was the pitcher. Owls Field was the same field on which the Marauders fell in the regional title game in 2014. But 2016 was a different story entirely. The 50-5 Marauders, ranked No. 2 in Division II and the regional's No. 1 seed, rolled through the field with a 3-0 record, defeating the No. 18 Lakers twice in two days.

"We just talked about the last couple of days how this group has been a part of six championship games," said head coach Jon Shehan. "We knew exactly what we needed to do. Guys went out there and threw strikes. We had a senior out there today in Jim McDade. He threw an outstanding game--a gutsy performance...I'm so proud of our seniors especially, for dealing with it and getting through the tough games the last couple of years."

The win was reminicent of Millersville's most recent regional championship, which came in 2011. That season the Marauders beat Mercyhurst in consecutive games and received a strong outing from their senior starting pitcher, Derek Kline. On Monday, it was McDade (11-0) that did the honors. McDade bested Mercyhurst two weeks earlier in the PSAC Tournament and did it again Monday, scattering eight hits and allowing just two runs while striking out six in eight innings.

The Marauders squared off against PSAC West Pitcher of the Year Colin McKee (11-2), who was working on just three days rest. Millersville jumped out to a three-run lead in the top of the first. Three consecutive singles from Chas McCormick, Mitch Stoltzfus and Dan Stoltzfus led to the first run, and a two-out fielding error by Mercyhurst plated the second. The third run came home when David Summerfield last a 2-0 pitch into right field, scoring Dan Stoltzfus.

"It was huge for our confidence from an offensive standpoint because McKee was outstanding all year," said Shehan. "He had 130-plus strikeouts. He beat us in the championship last year on short rest. It was big for our confidence to let the emotions get out and get back to playing baseball in the first inning."

The two teams settled in after the first and the score remained 3-0 until the top of the fifth. Summerfield ignited a two-out rally with a single, and Ted Williams drew a walk to keep the Marauder inning alive. Dan Neff, who had gone 0-for-11 to start the tournament, broke through in a big way. The 2-0 offering from reliever Ben Nolan was laced into the left-center field gap. Both runners scored, and the speedy Neff slid head first around the tag at third for a triple. Orris followed with a single, driving in Neff for the team's sixth run.

Mercyhurst got two back in the eighth on a two-run single from Daniel Elliott. But McDade ended the inning with a fly out. Freshman Mike Mock came on the ninth and hurdled a 1-2-3 inning. The celebration was set off when Neff caught the final out on a fly to center field. The save was the second in as many days for Mock and his fifth of the season.

The top four hitters in the Marauders' lineup all recorded two hits, and Summerfield finished with three. McCormick, who went 2-for-4, reached base three times and stole a base. He was voted the Atlantic Regional Most Outstanding Player after going 5-for-12 with a .500 on base percentage and three steals in three games. He was joined on the all-tournament team by Dan Stoltzfus, Mitch Stoltzfus and Brandon Miller.

Millersville now sets its sights on the NCAA Division II Championshp. The tournament begins on May 28. The Marauders draw Angelo State in the first round and will play at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on MSBN.