ORLANDO, Fla. – The Millersville Marauders split their Thursday doubleheader, defeating Salem University 4-3 before being shut out in a 1-0 loss against No. 5 Grand Valley State in the tail end of the twin billing.
 
GAME ONE: MILLERSVILLE 4 – SALEM 3
HOW IT HAPPENED         

• The Tigers struck first, scoring an unearned run in the first inning, and added another run in the second off of Marauder starter Kendra Bumgardner.
• Bumgardner would exit after the second, taking a no-decision as she struck out a pair of batters over her two frames of work.
• Salem would add another run in the fourth, going ahead 3-0.
• A four-run fifth inning was all the offense Millersville would need as the Marauder bats came alive, scoring four runs on three hits.
• Gabby D'Ottavio opened the frame with a leadoff double before Salem walked the following three batters. A bases loaded walk to Gabby Vuocolo put Millersville on the board as D'Ottavio came around to score, cutting the Marauder deficit to two.
• Bumgardner would tack on the second Marauder run, as she connected on an RBI single, plating Gabi Turner.
• Millersville would take advantage of a pair of defensive mistakes by Salem, as Vuocolo scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 3-3 and Bumgardner scored the go ahead run on a throwing error on the same play. Without a ball being put in play, Millersville went from trailing 3-2 to leading 4-3.
• Alex Schaefer threw three scoreless innings of relief, striking out three while scattering three hits as she earned the win for 'Ville.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Salem outhit Millersville eight to five.
• D'Ottavio led the Marauders in hits with two.
• Schaefer improved to 3-2 in the circle after earning the win.
• The victory improved the Marauders win streak to four games, their longest streak of the season. 

GAME TWO: GRAND VALLEY STATE 1 – MILLERSVILLE 0
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Millersville only recorded two hits in the loss, both of which came off the bat of Aleese Angelo.
• Hunter Little reached twice with a pair of walks. Vuocolo walked once.
• Shaefer pitched a complete game, allowing just one run over six quality frames while walking just one batter.
• The lone Grand Valley run came in the sixth, as the Lakers connected on a pair of hits. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• With the win, Grand Valley improved to 11-0 on the season.
• This was the first time the Marauders have been shut out in 2022. The last time the Marauders were shut out came on April 19 of 2021, against Indiana (Pa.) in an 8-0 loss.
• Schaefer fell to 3-3 in the circle, as she took the decision in both ends of the doubleheader.
• Little added to her team leading total in walks (14) as she brought her OBP to a team best .674 for the season.  
• Angelo is now tied for the team lead in hits with 13 after her pair of base hits against GVSU.
• The one run allowed was the fifth time in the first 12 games of the season that Millersville pitching allowed one or fewer runs.

REACTION FROM HEAD COACH JEN PROBST:
On the four-run inning against Salem: "We pitched really well today, just struggled to get the bats going. Gabby D was the spark we needed in game one to break out of the funk."

On game two: "Grand Valley is a top ranked team. We were one swing away multiple time from taking that game. We competed that game and I can't say enough about how Al handled herself in the mound. She went through their lineup three times and was able to get a ton of pop ups and foul out."
 
On the end of the expectation for Friday: "Tomorrow we are looking to come out with a stronger effort in the box from the start of the day and get back to doing what we do best, which is focus on quality at bats"
 
UP NEXT
The Marauder wrap their 12-game road trip with a doubleheader on Friday, March 11 against Notre Dame (Ohio) and Wheeling. First pitch against NDC is set for 9 a.m.