MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Jeff Taylor's efficient first six innings set the tone, and Nick Mancuso's three hits and three RBIs led the Millersville lineup in Wednesday's 11-4 PSAC Quarterfinal win over Bloomsburg. The win pushed the No. 1-seeded Marauders into the PSAC Semifinals. 

Millersville, now set to take on Bloomsburg in a best-of-three series starting Sunday at Cooper Park, won its first-ever home PSAC Tournament game against a Shepherd club that swept the Marauders at home in the regular season. After giving up a solo home run in the top of the first, Taylor (9-1), who has now won eight-straight starts, did not give up a hit or allow a base runner for five consecutive innings. It was the first career postseason appearance for the Marauders' ace, who is in his fourth collegiate season. 

"(Taylor) had a little more giddy-up today," said Millersville head coach Jon Shehan. "Rumor was he was up over 90 today, but he doesn't need 90 to beat people. His change-up is a great pitch; he's a bulldog. And the most impressive thing is, when you could feel the momentum switching, he got two big outs in the seventh inning. I was proud of how he finished the ball game. He's a bulldog."

Millersville led 6-1 in the top of the seventh when a Millersville error and a seeing-eye single put two on with no outs. After Shepherd pushed home a run on a fielder's choice, Cole Daugherty hit a two-run home run to slash Millersville's lead down to 6-4. But Taylor steadied and struck out the next two batters to end the inning. He finished with a season-high 10 strikeouts and gave up just three hits. While Shepherd led the PSAC in walks drawn and drew 17 walks in the first two meetings with Millersville, Taylor did issue a single free pass in his seven innings. 

Shepherd had pulled within two runs, but Justin Taylor and Mancuso took the momentum right back for the Marauders in the bottom of the seventh. Leading off the inning, Taylor ripped a single to right that was misplayed by the fielder, and Taylor sprinted into third base. One batter later, Mancuso doubled off the base of the right-center field wall to put Millersville's lead back to three runs. 

Both Taylor and Mancuso made their PSAC Tournament debuts Wednesday, and both rose to the occasion. Mancuso went 3-for-5 with a double, triple, two runs and three RBIs, and Taylor went 2-for-3 with a triple, two walks and three runs. Mancuso extended Millersville's lead even further in the eighth when he again hit a high fly into the right-center gap. Taylor and Eric Callahan both came home to score. Mancuso, assured a stand-up triple, never broke stride around third base, and he scored when the catcher mishandled the relay throw. 

"I think this is one of the best offenses we've had," said Shehan. "Mancuso has a lot of poise, and Justin Taylor, same thing. These guys came here to play playoff baseball. These kids come here to win championships. These kids are winners, they expect to win, and it's fun to see happen."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• After Taylor's strong seven innings in which he needed just 81 pitches, Christin Wingard tossed two shutout innings. He struck out three, allowing one hit and a walk. Millersville chased Shepherd starter Steve Bowley (5-5) after just 1 1/3 innings. He faced eight batters and gave up three runs on three hits. Shepherd used five pitchers in the game. Nate Hodgkinson led the team with three innings pitched, allowing three runs, two of which were earned. Only five of Shepherd's 11 runs allowed were earned. It was just the fourth time this year that Shepherd committed at least four errors. 
• Luke Trainer went 2-for-4, driving in Millersville's first run in the first inning on a double. He also added an RBI on a sacrifice fly in Millersville's three-run second inning. 
• Every Millersville starter either reached base or drove in a run. Callahan went 2-for-5 with an RBI and run scored, and Tyler Wright went 2-for-5 with an RBI and run scored. 

NOTES
• Millersville is now 21-13 in the PSAC Tournament under Shehan and 25-19 all-time. The Marauders have also won seven-consecutive opening round games.  
• Shepherd, which joined the PSAC prior to the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, made its first appearance in the PSAC Tournament. 
• Prior to Wednesday's game, Shepherd had won three of the previous four match-ups at Cooper Park. Millersville scored its most runs against Shepherd since 2017. 

QUOTABLE
• Shehan on playing at home in the PSAC Tournament for the first time: "The kids and (groundskeeper) Andy Zook take so much pride in this place. It's a great place to play. Even our visitors like to play here. We have a beautiful facility, and we are happy to host."
 
UP NEXT
• No longer a single-site, double elimination tournament, this year's PSAC Tournament features best-of-three series in the semifinals and championship. In the East, Millersville matches up with No. 3 seed Bloomsburg, which won 5-2 at West Chester Wednesday. The Western Division's top two seeds, Mercyhurst and Seton Hill, meet. The teams will play two nine-inning games on Sunday, May 16, and if a third game is necessary, it will be played on Monday, May 17.