ALTOONA, Pa. - It was a finish befitting two nationally ranked teams and a rematch of the 2021 NCAA Atlantic Regional championship round. No. 22 Seton Hill scored the eventual game-winning run in the top of the ninth on a Tanner Froehlich pinch-hit sacrifice fly, lifting his Griffins past No. 16 Millersville, 2-1.
With the setting of the Altoona Curve's Peoples Natural Gas Field, the game had the look and feel of another regional preview between the Griffins (19-6-1) and Marauders (22-7)--two teams that have had 12 postseason meetings over the last decade. Neither team committed an error, freshman
Garet Blankenbiller and four Marauder relievers limited the Griffins to just five hits while seven different Seton Hill arms combined to keep Millersville scoreless over the final six innings.
Seton Hill's runs came on a solo home run and a one-out sacrifice fly following Drew Garth's leadoff triple in the ninth. Millersville stranded six runners, including two in the bottom of the eighth with the game tied.
Jimmy Losh went 3-for-4 at the plate for the Marauders, driving in the team's lone run.
Tyler Wright also contributed a 2-for-3 outing.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
• The only blemish on Blankenbiller's line was Jake Orr's leadoff home run in the top of the third on a 1-0 offering. Blankenbiller, however, sat down nine of the next 11 batters he faced, issuing just two walks over the following three innings. He exited after five strong innings in which he allowed only the one hit.
• Losh did his part from the top of Millersville's lineup. After No. 9 hitter
Tyler Wright singled with one out in the bottom of the third, Losh followed with a double, tying the game at 1-1. Millersville's best chance at breaking the tie came in the bottom of the eighth when Losh led off with a single and the heart of the order followed. Seton Hill reliever Michael Marinchak recovered, however, and got both
Bren Taylor and
Thomas Caufield to fly out.
Luke Trainer drew a full-count walk to extend the inning, but Caiden Wood (5-0) entered and ended the inning with a groundout to shortstop.
• In the ninth, Garth hit a bouncer down the first base line, beyond the reach of a diving
Jimmy Kirk. Garth raced to third base, representing the go-ahead run. Millersville pulled in the infield, and
Sam Morris (1-1) got Neal McDermott to hit a chopper to Losh at second base. Losh froze the run and threw to first base for the inning's first out. Froehlich stepped in with one out and hit an 0-1 pitch to center.
Chase Simmons made the grab and fired for home, but Garth slid in just ahead of catcher
Cole Houser's tag. Nash Bryan picked up his PSAC-leading ninth save by retiring the Marauders in order in the bottom of the inning.
NOTES
• The loss was Millersville's first in a one-run game this season. Seton Hill has now won four in a row and seven of the last nine over Millersville. Seton Hill holds a slight 11-10 lead in the all-time series, which dates back to 2011.
• Blankenbiller has now surrendered just three earned runs and 11 hits in 19 innings of work. He has started each of Millersville's last two mid-week games, allowing two runs on four hits with eight strikeouts in nine innings.
• Losh has recorded six hits in his last two games.
NOTES
• Millersville travels to Shippensburg on Friday, April 8 for a nine-inning game, starting a three-game PSAC East series. The Marauders host the Raiders at Cooper Park for a doubleheader the following day.
