MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - With strong starts from
Ben Wilchacky and
Garet Blankenbiller with 23 total hits at the plate, the Millersville Marauders rolled to a doubleheader sweep of Chestnut Hill by scores of 14-3 and 6-1 Thursday afternoon.
Millersville ran its record to 12-3 with the wins, extending its winning streak to five games. Wilchacky (3-1) struck out seven in six innings and gave up just two runs on four hits in game one, and Blankenbiller followed with five innings in which he gave up just one run on two hits. Millersville used three pitchers in both games and did not issue a walk until the 14th inning of the day. That has been a theme all season as the Marauders have now struck out 136 while walking just 38 in 126 1/3 innings.
"We've emphasized it for a couple of years," said Millersville head coach
Jon Shehan. "It had become a weakness for our pitching staff. We have gone back to winning even counts, getting ahead of hitters, going back to old school pitching."
Millersville didn't need much offense Thursday but received plenty of it with 20 runs scored. Millersville had six extra-base hits in game one with
Jimmy Losh and
Sam Morris hitting homers.
Bren Taylor, who doubled in game one, hit a triple in game two, tying teammate
Jimmy Losh as well as alums Dan Neff and Chas McCormick for the school record 11 career triples.
The Marauders continued to produce at the plate despite a myriad of injuries to regular starters, and they lost one of their hottest hitters--Keegan Solits--after an injury in game one. Soltis went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs in the opener but others, like
John Seibert picked up the slack. Seibert caught 14 innings, went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the opener and then went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two stolen bases in the nightcap.
"(Seibert) has done a really good job," said Shehan. "When both he and (
Cole Houser) are healthy, they are one of the best catching tandems in the Northeast in D2 baseball. He's stepped up with Houser hurt, and he's swinging the bat really well this year."
Outfielders
Sam Morris and
Chase Simmons have also stepped up in the wake of injuries. Morris reached base four times in the doubleheader, totaling three hits and four runs. He also pitched the final inning of game two. Simmons drove in a run and scored one in game one and drew three walks and stole two bases in game two.
"We were frustrated from losing guys after our trip to North Carolina and the coaches showed an Adidas commercial about the rugby team, the All Blacks," said Shehan. "Decade after decade, a different player pulls the jersey on. With how our team is right now, this is what we have to be. Injuries are going to happen, but the next guy has to put the jersey on and keep rolling. They've latched on to that and have done a good job."
The Marauders' performed well in situational at bats, getting five runs home with sacrifice flies in the two games.
Thomas Caufield plated three on sac flies.
MORE FROM COACH SHEHAN
On Garet Blankenbiller: "He pounds the zone. He attacks. I don't know that he's walked a batter yet. That's been consistent through his outings going back to last year. He pitched in some big games as a freshman, so he's kind of been-there-done-that now. Coming in, we didn't think he'd be a conference starter, but he's winning the job.
UP NEXT
• Millersville returns to Cooper Park Saturday, March 4 for a doubleheader with Goldey-Beacom.
