SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – One swing of the bat can change everything. The Millersville University baseball team got a much-needed boost from pinch hitter Mark Miller in the seventh inning against Shepherd University in the form of a three-run home run that gave the Marauders a one-run lead and sparked the team to an eventual come-from-behind victory, 9-4. The win avoided a third consecutive loss to a PSAC East opponent to begin a series, which has not happened to Millersville since a four-game set with Shippensburg during the 2012 season.
 
Game two of the day was called due to weather in the first inning and with Millersville leading 1-0 thanks to a Jimmy Losh home run. The game will have to be rescheduled.
 
Losh seems to have rekindled the magic of the spring of 2020 (when he hit .492 in the shortened season) and made some Marauder history on Monday, becoming the first Ville player since Dan Stoltzfus in 2015 to hit a home run in three consecutive games when he followed up Miller's blast with one of his own to help secure the game one win. Losh's homer from game two of the day is not an official statistic unless that game is completed, but it would make Losh the first-ever Millersville player to hit a home run in four straight games since the beginning of the "Statcrew" era of stastistical record-keeping, which dates to 2003.
 
On the mound, starting pitcher Jeff Taylor answered the call in game one, tossing all seven innings and allowing the Ville bullpen to earn some critical rest. He allowed four runs but struck out seven and threw 98 pitches on the day to pick up his fourth win of 2021.
 
GAME ONE (MILLERSVILLE 9, SHEPHERD 4)
• Shepherd built a 2-0 lead after a pair of RBI singles from Caleb Walls and Joey Schwartz in the third and fourth innings, respectively.
• Millersville struck back in the fifth inning, loading the bases after a Justin Taylor leadoff single, a Darin Miller walk, and a Tyler Wright bunt that forced a throwing error. Right fielder Chase Simmons (starting just his second game of the season) grounded out but earned an RBI as Taylor rushed home. Jimmy Losh proceeded to tie the game at two after a sacrifice fly.
• The Rams took the lead back after launching two solo home runs from Joey Goldsmith and Schwartz to make it 4-2, but it all unraveled for them in the top of the seventh inning. Back-to-back singles from Justin Taylor and Darin Miller led off the frame and chased Shepherd starter Eric O'Brien from the game, and—two batters later—pinch-hitter Mark Miller took reliever Adam Miller deep to left field for a three-run bomb to put the Ville up 5-4.
• Losh was the next batter and made it back-to-back homers with a blast of his own over the right field fence. Miller was replaced on the mound by Trevor Sprinkle, but he surrendered RBI singles to Cole Friese and Eric Callahan as well as a bases-loaded walk to Cole Houser as the Millersville rally built a 9-4 lead to claim victory.

NOTES
• Mark Miller's pinch-hit home run was the second time he has accomplished the feat in 2021, also homering off the bench in the first game of the season (March 3 vs. Clarion University.)
• Jimmy Losh had three career home runs prior to the start of this four-game series against Shepherd. He has now doubled that career total and leads the Marauders with four round-trippers in 2021.
• Luke Trainer's double was his team-high ninth extra-base hit of the season.
• Jeff Taylor is now tied with Alex Mykut for the most victories (four) amongst the Ville's pitching staff.

UP NEXT
• Millersville hosts Shippensburg University at Cooper Park for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 13 beginning at 1 p.m. The games were rescheduled from the weekend of April 2. The Marauders have won eight straight games versus the Raiders and nine of the last 10 games the teams have played.
 
SCOUTING THE SHIPPENSBURG RAIDERS
• Speaking of streaks, Shippensburg has won nine of its last 10 games in 2021, including a sweep over Lock Haven and three-of-four from Kutztown. Over that stretch the team has outscored opponents 71-28.
• The Raider offense is led by Ben Werkheiser (.404, six home runs, 14 RBIs), who is just one of two players hitting over .300 on the team. Chase Zurawski (.367, five doubles, 15 RBIs) is the other.
• A pair of workhorse starting pitchers anchors the staff: Kyle Lysy (3-2, 34.1 IP, 2.45 ERA, 40 strikeouts) and Kiernan Higgins (3-3, 31 IP, 3.39 ERA, 42 strikeouts), who have both started six games apiece. Both pitchers are amongst the top 10 in the PSAC in multiple categories, including innings pitched, strikeouts, and batting average against (.185 for Higgins and .197 for Lysy.)