BARTON, N.C. - Trailing 3-0 through five innings, Millersville scored seven unanswered runs including four in the for a 7-3 Opening Day victory over Barton Saturday. 

Cole Houser led the Marauders with two hits and a walk, and his leadoff single set-up his tie-breaking run on John Seibert's RBI fielder's choice. It was also Seibert that got the Marauders rolling when he hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth. 

"The Seibert homer was huge," said Millersville head coach Jon Shehan. "Breaking up the shutout and loosening us up was important. Sometimes it's hard to get the offense rolling the first game of the year. Cole has swung the bat well through the preseason, and he picked up where he left off. We are seeing a third-year, experienced hitter now."
 
Seibert's home run answered a two-run homer that Barton had hit in the bottom of the fifth. It also ended Tanner Halvorson's mastery of the Marauders. Halverson retired the first 13 batters he faced including a stretch of six consecutive strikeouts in one stretch. 

"(Halverson) was excellent," said Shehan. "He did a nice job locating both pitches on both sides of the plate."

Halverson exited after six innings, and Millersville immediately got to the Barton bullpen. Bren Taylor drew a leadoff walk, and Thomas Caufield doubled. Millersville cut the deficit to one with an RBI groundout from Keegan Soltis. In the eighth, with the bases loaded and one out, Caufield hit a full-count pitch to the right side, allowing pinch-runner Chase Simmons to score the tying run. Houser led off the ninth with a single and moved up to third on Matthew Williams' single to right field. Houser crossed home on Seibert's fielder's choice, and Millersville increased the lead on Jimmy Losh's RBI single, and later on Taylor's two-run single with two outs. 

While the Marauder bats got going, the bullpen kept Barton in check. Starter Alex Mykut allowed two earned runs on four hits over five innings. Evan Rishell provided 1 1/3 shutout innings. Harry Prince ended the seventh, and Sam Morris (1-0) struck out three over the final two frames. 

"The bullpen pitched great," said Shehan. "Rishell, Prince and Morris went in and competed. It was great to see."

Mykut's outing was his first since April 10, 2021--a culmination in a nearly two-year rehab from an arm injury. 

"It was great to get Mykut one under his belt," said Shehan. That's a tough outing for anyone. It's been almost two years. He's worked so hard, and he was nervous to get out and compete again."

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• Millersville is scheduled for a doubleheader Sunday at Barton.