MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The Millersville Marauders baseball team took three of four games from Lock Haven University in this weekend's series, including a split of Sunday's doubleheader (a 10-0 win and a 6-1 loss.) The Ville's 3-1 start to PSAC East play in 2021 equals its most recent start in 2019, when the team took three of four games from Bloomsburg to begin that conference campaign.

Starting pitcher Jeff Taylor tossed a gem in game one of the afternoon, going six innings, allowing just two hits, and striking out nine. Sophomore left fielder Bren Taylor continued to deliver in the cleanup spot, knocking in two runs in the top of the second to cement the Marauders' early lead. Pete Vaccaro added two hits and three RBIs in the fourth and six innings to put the game out of reach for the Bald Eagles.
 
The Marauders had to deal with Lock Haven starter David Keller in game two, who pitched well to the tune of nine strikeouts while only allowing two hits and four walks. Sophomore first baseman Darin Miller finally got the Ville on the scoreboard in the seventh inning with a solo blast over the right field fence for the team's only run of the game.

GAME ONE (Millersville 10, Lock Haven 0)
• Lock Haven starting pitcher Tristin Lockett got into trouble early, walking six Millersville batters in the first two innings. Darin Miller, Tyler Wright, and Cole Friese all walked in the second to load the bases, and Jimmy Losh drew another to notch an RBI and plate the first run of the game. Lockett was pulled from the game after that, but a Luke Trainer sacrifice fly and a Bren Taylor two-run single off reliever Austin Gilpin gave the Ville a 4-0 advantage.
• Millersville's only extra-base hit of the game came from Darin Miller in the third inning, which allowed Pete Vaccaro to advance to third base. Nick Mancuso walloped a fly ball to center field for the sacrifice, and Wright connected on an RBI single to right field to score Miller for the 6-0 lead.
• Vaccaro came through again in the sixth to make it 10-0, driving a single up the middle to score Bren Taylor and Eric Callahan, who had reached on a hit-by-pitch and a single, respectively.
• Reliever Andrew Mayhew entered the game and pitched a perfect seventh inning, striking out two Bald Eagles in the process.

GAME TWO (Lock Haven 6, Millersville 1)
•Lock Haven held a 2-0 lead after the second inning but it could have been much worse. Starting pitcher Ben Wilchacky exited the game with two outs in the bottom of the frame after surrendering an unearned run and hitting Lock Haven's Reagan Lawlor. Kris Pirozzi took the mound for the Ville and walked Justin Lichtenwalner to put men on first and second. Jake Mastillo singled to right field but Nick Mancuso came up throwing, one-hopping it right to Luke Trainer at home plate, who put the tag on Lawlor to end the inning.
• Mastillo got some payback in the fourth inning, launching a three-run home run to push the Lock Haven lead to six runs.
• Darin Miller led off the top of the seventh inning with a home run of his own, his second of the season and fourth of his career. Luke Trainer and Bren Taylor were the only other Marauders to have a hit in game two.
 
REACTION FROM HEAD COACH JON SHEHAN
• Overall thoughts from the weekend: "I think the big takeaway from the weekend is we're capable. We've still got to put together a full weekend. In game four it was like we re-wrote the script from last week, with wild pitches, giving bases to guys, errors, so we still have things to improve on. I think that's a positive: we have veteran guys who have the capability to play far better than they did this weekend and last and they'll get better."
• On Bren Taylor's emergence in the cleanup spot: "He can flat out hit. He was a little young last year, but he's gotten used to things. He's got as good a barrel as any guy we've had in our program since someone like Zach Stone, who hardly ever struck out. Bren's just got a really advanced approach at the plate, and it's impressive. He's very quiet but very competitive, and I think you're gonna see good things from him in the next couple of years. He's got a chance to be real good."
• On Darin Miller and Tyler Wright getting four starts at the corner infield spots this weekend: "For Darin, we love his defense and we know he can hit. He ran into a couple balls this weekend and extra-base hits are his middle name. Finding a way to keep Pete Vaccaro and Darin both in the lineup is key for us offensively. With Wright, he's a complete baseball player. We're hoping he can move into the shortstop role next year when Callahan finally graduates, he can really pick it and gives us a dynamic bat at the bottom of the lineup. It means that we put a guy like Justin Taylor on the bench, who we're confident has a very bright future. So he has to wait his turn to get another opportunity and make a run at it when he gets there. It's nice to have depth!"

NOTES
• Bren Taylor has recorded a hit in every game in 2021 and leads the team in batting average (.467), runs scored (11), and stolen bases (three).
• After earning just one start in 2020, Tyler Wright was in the lineup at third base for every game this weekend, finishing 4-for-8 with two RBIs and three runs scored.
• Darin Miller has played in each game this season but started the last 5 games at first base, responding with five hits, three RBIs, and five runs scored. He also had the team's only extra-base hit in each of Sunday's contests.
 
UP NEXT
• A series with PSAC East rival East Stroudsburg is on tap for next weekend, beginning with a doubleheader at ESU on Friday, March 26 at 12 p.m. The Marauders will then host the Warriors for a pair of games on Saturday, March 27 at Cooper Park--which also start at noon.