MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - There is simply no margin for error against this Millersville lineup. The Marauders scored seemingly every way possible in Thursday's 9-4 NCAA Atlantic Regional win over Charleston, and shortstop
Thomas Caufield provided the big blows with his two home runs.
Caufield's solo shot in the third and seventh inning three-run blast that turned a one-run game into a four-run Millersville lead were his 15th and 16th of the season, setting a new single-season record for home runs. Caufield,
Jimmy Losh and
Bren Taylor all finished the day with three hits and two runs scored.
Marauders' starter
Ben Wilchacky earned his 10th win in 11 decisions and threw 6 2/3 innings and 100 pitches on short rest after making two appearances in the PSAC Tournament. He allowed just three baserunners to reach in his first five innings, and in the sixth, he overcame two walks with a ground out and punch out to end the threat. Charleston picked up a pair of runs in the seventh to close the gap to 3-2, but with the bases loaded, two outs and a full count,
Nate Young induced a ground out to Caufield at short.
"He made some huge pitches in that situation to get us out of it," said Millersville head coach
Jon Shehan. "It could have easily swung but we stayed up by one.
Sam Morris then comes in and has pitched in big spots for us all year long."
Not cashing in on that scoring opportunity proved costly for Charleston as Millersville opened the seventh inning with the top of the lineup. Losh and Taylor singled, and Caufield mashed a first-pitch breaking ball over the right field wall to blow open the game.
"Tommy has been doing it all year in big situations," said Shehan. "It was a huge moment in the ball game. It was the perfect scenario. The two guys get on in front of him, and they have been doing it all year long. That gives (Caufield) an opportunity to get pitches to hit."
The Marauders piled on in the eighth.
Chase Simmons, who squeezed home a run with a bunt in the second inning, started the frame with another bunt single. He swiped second--one of Millersville's three steals on the day--and came home on Losh's third hit of the game. Two more singles followed, and
Luke Trainer, drew his third walk of the game to push in another run, and
Keegan Soltis, who scored Millersville's first run, smacked a double to drive in another run.
THEY SAID IT...
Shehan on hosting the NCAA regional: "Sleeping in your own bed is underrated and having a routine is underrated. For our guys to wake up and go through a normal routine with normalcy is huge. It helps dial back the butterflies and keep the intensity level manageable."
NOTES
• Millersville is now 9-2 all-time in the opening game of regionals. Millersville improved to 20-4 at home in 2022, and it was the first NCAA regional win at Cooper Park.
• The game was the fourth NCAA regional meeting between Millersville and Charleston, and Millersville is 3-1 in those games.
• Caufield's four RBIs boosted his season total to 77, moving him to within four of Dan Stoltzfus' program record.
UP NEXT
• Millersville advances to play the winner of the East Stroudsburg-Gannon match-up Friday at 2:30 p.m.
