CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The Marauders somehow found a way. Riding the right arm of freshman Conor Cook and gutsy bullpen outings from Aidan Welch, Wyatt Tyson and Christian Wingard, the Marauders got just enough offense and a fortunate break to top Charleston 3-1 in Saturday's late-night elimination game. 

The victory put Millersville in the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship round for the fifth time since 2011. And now the Marauders face the daunting task of beating top-seeded Seton Hill in back-to-back games, a feat that occurred just twice in 2021. 

But there was a little bit of Marauder magic in the misty, chilly Charleston air Saturday night. Seth Nightingale no-hit the Marauders into the fifth, but Chase Simmons, making his first start since May 2, drew a one-out walk and swiped second base. Nightingale registered a strike out for out No. 2, and had Jimmy Losh down 0-2 when the Marauder second base ripped a single just inside the first base bag. Simmons raced home to break the scoreless tie. 

Bren Taylor then drew a walk to put runners on first and second for Luke Trainer. On Nightingale's first offering, Trainer hit a towering fly ball to shallow right field that got lost in the heavy mist and black sky. The Charleston fielders struggled to find the ball, and it dropped just outside the reach of the second baseman. Losh and Taylor, both running on contact, scored on the play for a 3-0 Millersville lead. 

"That pop up was the difference in the game," said Millersville head coach Jon Shehan. "You have to run balls out; that's something we take pride in, and it paid off for us."

Charleston had piled up 14 runs and 20 hits earlier in the day against Bloomsburg, but Cook, the PSAC East Freshman of the Year, mowed through the Golden Eagles' lineup for six innings. The first batter of the game singled but was immediately caught stealing. Cook did not allow another hit until the seventh. 

"Ryan Kramer had a fantastic game plan, and Conor went out and executed," said Shehan. "He got a couple of double-plays balls that were really big, and we made some big defensive players behind him as well."

After two quick ground outs to start the seventh, Charleston's Braxton Boddorf singled to right, and Mitchell Vincent tipped a pitch up the first base line that started in foul territory and spun back fair. No play could be made at first. Cook walked the next batter to load the bases. Millersville called on Welch, who induced a slow roller to shortstop that a charging Callahan scooped and fired to first on the run to end the inning. 

In the eighth, Charleston drew a leadoff walk against Welch. Wyatt Tyson entered and struck out the first two batters he faced, but Charleston got on the board with a full-count walk and a single that scored one. Christian Wingard came on with two runners on, and after a walk to Boddorf, Wingard fanned Vincent on three pitches. 

Wingard's work wasn't finished. In the ninth, Pete Costigan hit a one-out single to bring the tying run to the plate, but Wingard struck out back-to-back Golden Eagles to nail down his fifth save of the season. 

"Cook was outstanding. Tyson and Welch came in and did a good job, and Wingard always makes it interesting but he gets so many swings and misses. He walks a guy then strikes out the side," said Shehan. "I was really pleased with our pitching tonight."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Cook (5-0) allowed just three hits and three walks over 6 2/3, striking out three. All four of the outs registered by Wingard came via strikeout. 
• Nightingale's (2-1) 5 2/3 innings marked his longest outing of the season, and it was also his first start of the year. 
• Losh led Millersville with two hits, one RBI, run and a walk. After several games hitting in the No. 2 spot, he was elevated to the leadoff spot. 

NOTES
• Millersville is now 2-1 all-time against Charleston in NCAA regional games. The two teams split in the 2018 regional at West Lawn, Pa. It is the second time that Millersville has eliminated Charleston. 
• The win was Millersville's 30 of the season. The Marauders have now won 30 or more games in each full season since 2013. 

UP NEXT
• Millersville and Seton Hill meet Sunday at 12 p.m. Millersville must win that game to force a game two at 3:30 p.m. Millersville and Seton Hill have met in the NCAA regional seven times. The last time the teams met in the regional championship round came in 2014. That remains Seton Hill's last regional championship.