West Lawn, Pa. - Maybe it is time to rename the Millersville Marauders the Thrillersville Marauders. On Saturday in West Lawn, the Marauders held off a rallying West Chester club to advance in the NCAA Atlantic Regional by a 7-6 final.

Aidan Welch in the eighth and Bobby Dorta in the ninth both cut down West Chester charges while pitching against the heart of the lineup. West Chester scored four runs in the final two innings to slash the Marauders' once-five run lead to one. But the damage was limited and the Marauders' season was saved by gutsy pitching performers and slick defense.

In the eighth, Welch entered with bases loaded and no outs facing the nation's leading hitter in Jared Melone. Melone hit a screaming ground ball up the middle, but shortstop Eric Callahan snared it behind the second base bag on a diving play. Callahan flipped the ball to Williams at second for a force out. The run scored, but  Callahan's play prevented at least one more run from scoring. Welch had All-Atlantic Region DH Shane Dressler up next, and the Marauder freshman got Dressler to roll into a 6-4-3, inning-ending double play that needed the full reach of 6-6 first baseman Jimmy Cain.

West Chester started the ninth with a single and back-to-back walks, loading the bases with no outs. Dorta relieved Welch, and Joey Coyle immediately lined a two-run single to center. Dorta was undaunted. With fog settling in on Owls Field, Dorta struck out Kyle Irwin on three pitches. West Chester leadoff hitter Joey Horn then hit a chopper to third baseman Kaylor Kulina at third, who whipped the ball to Williams at second, and Williams fired to first for an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.

Dorta's save was his second of the season. Millersville starter Drew Miller picked up the win, going seven innings, allowing two earned runs (four total) on five hits while fanning seven. It was the longest outing of his career. He allowed only five Golden Rams to reach base in his first seven innings and worked three 1-2-3 innings.

Callahan and Ted Williams both went 3 for 4. Williams drove in a run and scored two. Jimmy Cain drove in a pair with a 2 for 5 day, and Ben Snyder went 2 for 4 with a RBI and run scored. Cole Friese walked twice and scored both times he reached base.

The Marauders' scoring started in the third with Snyder's two-out, two-on single. Cain followed with a double, driving in two more. The Marauders took full advantage of a West Chester error in the fifth, getting two more runs across when a one-out chopper off the bat of Cain slipped past the West Chester third baseman. Williams drove in Brookens and Callahan with a single to left in the sixth.

Millersville advances to play the winner of the Charleston/Bloomsburg game at 7 p.m. on Sunday.