MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – Freshman pitcher Conor Cook spun his second straight complete game shutout to carry Millersville University's baseball team to a game one win over Bloomsburg, 8-0, but the Huskies struck back in extra innings in game two to earn the split on the day, 9-5.
 
Cook—who had not pitched since April 13, when he shut out Shippensburg—only allowed one hit and three walks in his seven innings of work while striking out nine. Relying on his devasting curveball that he can locate for strikes, Cook has quickly become one of the team's most reliable young arms.
 
He was supported in game one by a power surge from the Marauders' bats, as Eric Callahan, Justin Taylor, and Cole Friese all left the ballpark with home runs.
 
In game two it was Bloomsburg doing damage with the long ball, including a 2-run Tyler Wiik bomb to break a 4-4 tie in the top of the eighth inning. Huskies pitcher Logan Hile picked up his second victory of the season after three scoreless innings of work in which he did not allow a hit to the Marauders.
 
The scene shifts to Bloomsburg University for games three and four on Saturday afternoon, with Ville pitchers Jeff Taylor and Paul Wilson probable starters on the mound.

GAME ONE (MILLERSVILLE 8, BLOOMSBURG 0)
• It was a scoreless game until the bottom of the third inning when the Marauder bats started to heat up. Jimmy Losh singled to left field and stole second base to get in scoring position, and Bren Taylor brought him home with a double to left center. A Luke Trainer walk and a double steal moved him and Taylor up a base, and Taylor scooted home after a wild pitch to make it 2-0. Cole Friese came through with a sacrifice fly and Eric Callahan crushed a home run over the left field fence to push the Ville lead to four runs.
• Callahan would again reach base in the fifth after a bunt single, and the very next batter—first baseman Justin Taylor—sent a ball screaming out of Cooper Park to left field as well, a 2-run blast and his fifth of the season.
• The power alley in left field was again on display in the sixth inning, when Cole Friese hit his 23^rd career Millersville home run to make it an 8-0 game.
 
GAME TWO (BLOOMSBURG 9, MILLERSVILLE 5 (EIGHT INNINGS)
• Millersville took the lead in the bottom of the first in an unusual fashion. Jimmy Losh led off the inning with a single to right center and Bren Taylor followed it up by smashing a double to left field. A balk from Bloomsburg pitcher Michael Standen scored Losh and moved Taylor to third, and Luke Trainer came through with a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-0 game.
• Bloomsburg took the lead 3-2 in the second inning courtesy of a Ben Newbert RBI ground-rule double and as two-run single to right field by Anthony Viggiano. The Ville tied it up in the bottom of the third when Trainer stroked a single through the left side of the infield to bring home Losh and make it 3-3.
• A leadoff home run in the top of the fourth from Bloom's Gianna Sinatore gave the Huskies the lead 4-3, but Millersville again rallied to tie it in the bottom half. Justin Taylor led off the frame with a mammoth double to right field and advanced to third after a Mark Miller groundout. Nick Mancuso came up with the clutch fly ball to tie things up and the game remained 4-4 through seven innings, as fans were treated to bonus baseball at Cooper Park.
• Unfortunately for the Marauder faithful, it was all Bloomsburg as extra innings began. A leadoff walk to Andrew Holmes and the aforementioned Tyler Wiik home run made it 6-4, and the Huskies would go on to put up five runs in the inning for a 9-4 lead. Cole Friese did knock home a run in the bottom of the eighth but the Ville could not close the gap any further, as Bloomsburg secured the 9-5 victory.
 
REACTION FROM ASSISTANT COACH DAVID BAKER
•On Conor Cook's performance: "He has done really well his last couple outings. After his first outing, the freshman jitters were out of the way and he's pitched the way he's capable of. He's done a good job of throwing strikes, getting ahead and putting hitters away. The complete games have been big, especially with the amount of games we've been playing midweek. He's really saved some of our bullpen arms."
•On preparing for tomorrow's doubleheader: "We need to have a short memory. We played some pretty good baseball for 14 innings but inning 15 got away from us and we didn't play well. We need to turn the page and play one pitch at a time tomorrow."

NOTES
• Cole Friese's home run in game one was his 23^rd career and moves him into a tie for second-most all-time in program history with Dan Stoltzfus (2013-16) and Matt Knox (1999-01)
• Friese has also been on a tear at the plate, raising his average to .348 after a stretch of seven games in which he is 11-for-24 with seven runs scores, two home runs, and ten RBIs.
• Conor Cook's back-to-back complete game shutouts have lowered his ERA to 2.04, the second-lowest on the team next to Alex Mykut (1.48). Opposing batters are only hitting .169 against Cook, which is also the second-best mark (to Aidan Welch's .122.)

UP NEXT
• Millersville hits the road to Bloomsburg University for games three and four of the weekend series. First pitch is scheduled for Saturday, April. 24 at 12 p.m.