Greenwood, S.C. - For the third time in as many games, Lander jumped out to an early lead. On Sunday, the homestanding Bearcats scored 14 runs in the first four innings and held on for a 16-3 win, completing the series sweep.
Lander totaled 17 hits to Millersville's six. 10 Bearcats recorded at least one hit and five had two or more. Lander also drew 13 walks. Starter Joseph Whitt went four shutout innings, giving up no runs on one hit and four walks. Millersville starter
Drew Miller lasted one inning, giving up seven runs on five hits and four walks. Millersville used six pitchers with none of them logging more than two innings. In the three-game series, Lander totaled 37 hits and drew 28 walks.
One day earlier, the first four Lander batters reached base and three scored in the first. On Sunday, Lander started with two walks and three singles and finished the inning with five runs on four hits. After adding two in the second, Lander scored five of its six runs in the third with two outs.
"They hit fastballs really well and we didn't throw off-speed in the zone," said Millersville head coach
Jon Shehan. "Drew couldn't get ahead and threw a lot of off-speed out of the zone and they sat fastball. When you face a good fastball hitting team, especially one that faced three good staffs last weekend, they are ready to hit fastball."
Millersville, on the flip side, stranded seven runners on base before getting on the board with
Ben Snyder's RBI double in the fifth.
Eric Callahan added a two-run single in the seventh.
"It's a marathon," said Shehan. "There is no doubt we have to look at it a pitch at a time. But for position players--just continue to have good at bats. Things will start to roll and guys will figure it out timing wise. From a pitching aspect, it was disappointing because we know what we are capable of on the mound. We expect more out of them. That was the message (after the game). We need to do a better job getting ahead--way too many free passes. And someone in the bullpen needs to step up and say 'I'm going to put the team on my back and get us back in the game.' That just didn't happen."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
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Cole Friese went 2-for-5.
Dominic Hardaway added a hit, run and drew two walks.
Jimmy Cain drew three walks.
NOTES
• Millersville has allowed 10 or more runs in a game just 13 times in the 446 games played since the start of the 2011 season.
• Millersville's 0-3 start is its first since 2010. Lander is just the fourth non-conference team since the start of 2010 to sweep a three game series with Millersville.
QUOT
I thought one pitching outing that was really positive today was (Noah) Hartwell. He was around the plate with different pitches. He doesn't throw very hard but he competes. He has a really good changeup. I think there were a few guys that made really good decisions at the plate all weekend. For [Snyder] having ony one hit, he had eight or nine barrels but just couldn't buy a hit. Callahan swung the bat well. Friese started to get it going with good AB's, being aggressive. Hardaway: the same thing. It's hard for us to play our game offensively when we are down. You can't run and hit and drag bunt and do some of those things that we have been really good at doing when you are down by five all the time." -
Jon Shehan
UP NEXT
• Millersville is off until Feb. 22-24 when it travels to Williamston, N.C. for two games against Lake Erie and two against Clarion.
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