Friday, February 2
Houston, TX
6:00 PM
Millersville University
1-0
15
vs
13
Central Missouri
0-1
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
8th innning8
9th innning9
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Millersville
3
0
1
0
4
2
3
0
2
15
18
1
Central Missouri
3
2
0
1
0
1
1
5
0
13
16
0
McNelly's pinch-hit homer lifts Marauders to thrilling win over No. 5 Central Missouri
2/2/2024 9:02:00 PM | Baseball
HOUSTON, Texas - Down 0-2 in his first at-bat as a Millersville Marauder, Mark McNelly smacked a ninth-inning, two-run home run to lift the seventh-ranked Marauders over No. 5 Central Missouri 15-13 Friday night at the Houston Astros Minute Maid Park.
The Millersville bats looked right at home playing on the same turf as alum and now-Astros outfielder Chas McCormick '17. Millersville piled up 18 hits and drew 10 walks, and four Marauders finished with three hits. The Marauders also showed resilience, rallying from an early deficit and responding not only after Central Missouri tied the game late, but also after Sam Morris was hit with a line drive while on the mound in the eighth and was forced to leave the game.
"I was proud of the way the guys bounced back," said Millersville head coach Jon Shehan. "That was a tough situation in the eighth, but they responded."
The Marauders scored three runs in the top of the first, and later scored nine runs from the fifth through the seventh before adding the decisive runs in the top of the ninth. Before his stint on the mound, Morris hit a home run and finished 3 for 4 with three runs and two RBIs. Matthew Williams also went 3 for 4 with three RBIs. Justin Taylor finished with a single, double, triple, and three RBIs. Jeff Sabater recorded three hits and swiped two bases in his Millersville debut. Every hitter in the Millersville lineup reached base at least once.
"I think we can really score runs," said Shehan. "That's the bottom line. We have some super dynamic players. Jeff Sabater was as advertised. We have a lot of weapons and a lot of depth. Even with losing some guys to graduation, we don't have any outs in the lineup."
With both teams swinging hot bats, it was a tough opener for the pitching staffs. Both starters surrendered three runs in the first inning. Millersville's Preseason All-America starter Carson Kulina lasted 2 2/3 innings before reaching his first start pitch limit. Central Missouri starter Conner Wolf last 2 1/3 and 52 pitches, allowing four runs. While the Marauders' bullpen did enough to keep the lead through the middle innings, it became a dicey situation in the eighth as Central Missouri scored five runs and fully erased what at one time had been a six-run deficit. Central Missouri scored three of the runs with two outs. Fortunately for the Marauders, a double switch earlier in the game put the pitcher in the lineup and forced the Marauders to pinch-hit for reliever Cole Fisher after Cole Houser started the ninth with a single up the middle.
McNelly, a transfer from Seton Hall, swung and missed on the first offering from Central Missouri closer J.D. McReynolds and fouled off the second. McNelly deposited the 0-2 fastball in the left-field seats.
"Mark is a veteran," said Shehan. "He's handled plus stuff. McReynolds is really good. He was up to 94 tonight with a plus breaking ball and plus change-up. But it wasn't too big of a situation for Mark. McReynolds missed out over the plate and Mark made him pay."
With a two-run lead, Millersville turned to senior reliever Harry Prince in the bottom of the ninth. Prince retired the first two hitters on fly outs before an infield single brought the tying run to the plate. Prince worked a 2-2 count Josh Patrick before ending the threat with a fly out.
"We have veteran pitchers who have been in big spots and have handled big situations," said Shehan. "Harry is a veteran. It's good to see him come out and attack. His one knock on him in his career has been pitching from behind but he's been in the zone lately. In the past we may not have let him face those lefties, but he commanded both sides of the plate."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
The Millersville bats looked right at home playing on the same turf as alum and now-Astros outfielder Chas McCormick '17. Millersville piled up 18 hits and drew 10 walks, and four Marauders finished with three hits. The Marauders also showed resilience, rallying from an early deficit and responding not only after Central Missouri tied the game late, but also after Sam Morris was hit with a line drive while on the mound in the eighth and was forced to leave the game.
"I was proud of the way the guys bounced back," said Millersville head coach Jon Shehan. "That was a tough situation in the eighth, but they responded."
The Marauders scored three runs in the top of the first, and later scored nine runs from the fifth through the seventh before adding the decisive runs in the top of the ninth. Before his stint on the mound, Morris hit a home run and finished 3 for 4 with three runs and two RBIs. Matthew Williams also went 3 for 4 with three RBIs. Justin Taylor finished with a single, double, triple, and three RBIs. Jeff Sabater recorded three hits and swiped two bases in his Millersville debut. Every hitter in the Millersville lineup reached base at least once.
"I think we can really score runs," said Shehan. "That's the bottom line. We have some super dynamic players. Jeff Sabater was as advertised. We have a lot of weapons and a lot of depth. Even with losing some guys to graduation, we don't have any outs in the lineup."
With both teams swinging hot bats, it was a tough opener for the pitching staffs. Both starters surrendered three runs in the first inning. Millersville's Preseason All-America starter Carson Kulina lasted 2 2/3 innings before reaching his first start pitch limit. Central Missouri starter Conner Wolf last 2 1/3 and 52 pitches, allowing four runs. While the Marauders' bullpen did enough to keep the lead through the middle innings, it became a dicey situation in the eighth as Central Missouri scored five runs and fully erased what at one time had been a six-run deficit. Central Missouri scored three of the runs with two outs. Fortunately for the Marauders, a double switch earlier in the game put the pitcher in the lineup and forced the Marauders to pinch-hit for reliever Cole Fisher after Cole Houser started the ninth with a single up the middle.
McNelly, a transfer from Seton Hall, swung and missed on the first offering from Central Missouri closer J.D. McReynolds and fouled off the second. McNelly deposited the 0-2 fastball in the left-field seats.
Mark McNelly LAUNCHES one into the left field seats to put the Marauders up 15-13 in the top of the ninth! 🚀🚀 pic.twitter.com/cgvBPjsQT6
— Millersville Marauders (@VilleMarauders) February 3, 2024
"Mark is a veteran," said Shehan. "He's handled plus stuff. McReynolds is really good. He was up to 94 tonight with a plus breaking ball and plus change-up. But it wasn't too big of a situation for Mark. McReynolds missed out over the plate and Mark made him pay."
With a two-run lead, Millersville turned to senior reliever Harry Prince in the bottom of the ninth. Prince retired the first two hitters on fly outs before an infield single brought the tying run to the plate. Prince worked a 2-2 count Josh Patrick before ending the threat with a fly out.
"We have veteran pitchers who have been in big spots and have handled big situations," said Shehan. "Harry is a veteran. It's good to see him come out and attack. His one knock on him in his career has been pitching from behind but he's been in the zone lately. In the past we may not have let him face those lefties, but he commanded both sides of the plate."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Millersville used six pitchers in the game. Garet Blankenbiller went 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run. Evan Rishell worked 2 2/3 innings. Fisher earned the mound win--the first of his career.
- Taylor's triple was just the third of his career. His three hits also matched a career high. Morris and Houser led the Marauders with three runs scored apiece.
- Amani Jones, Caleb Sturtevant, Hunter Stevens, Nick O'Connor, Sabater and McNelly all made their Millersville debuts.
- On getting an Opening Day win over a top-10 team: "They are one of the best teams in the country historically. I have a lot of respect for that program. It's huge for us. We know we will pitch down the stretch. You won't see that every night. There were some adjustments we had to make with a pro zone, TrackMan zone, and Triple-A umpires have a tighter zone than college. But offensively, I think we silenced some critics. It should be good year if we keep swinging the bats like that."
- Millersville is now 3-1 all-time playing at Minute Maid Park and 2-1 against Central Missouri. Two of the three games were played in Houston, and the other was in the 2011 NCAA Championship series in Cary, N.C. Millersville won that game, 1-0.
- Millersville has won five consecutive season openers.
- Millersville has a quick turnaround, playing No. 3 Tampa at Minute Maid Park on Saturday at 11 a.m. EST.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fisher, Cole (1-0)
L: McReynolds,JD (0-1)
S: Prince, Harry (1)
Batting:
2B: Williams, Matthew 1 ; Taylor, Justin 2
3B: Taylor, Justin 1
HR: Morris, Sam 1 ; McNelly, Mark 1
RBI: Jones, Amani 1 ; Soltis, Keegan 1 ; Houser, Cole 1 ; Morris, Sam 2 ; McNelly, Mark 2 ; Williams, Matthew 3 ; Taylor, Justin 3 ; Seibert, John 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Jones, Amani 1 ; Soltis, Keegan 1 ; Houser, Cole 3 ; Morris, Sam 3 ; McNelly, Mark 1 ; Williams, Matthew 2 ; Taylor, Justin 1 ; Seibert, John 1 ; O'Connor, Nick 1 ; Sabater, Jeff 1
SB: Houser, Cole 1 ; O'Connor, Nick 1 ; Sabater, Jeff 2
CS: Seibert, John 1 ; Sabater, Jeff 1
HBP: Houser, Cole 1
Batting:
2B: Schark,Jack 1 ; Moore,Cole 1 ; Heath,Chase 1 ; vanBreusegen,Brennen 2
HR: Young,Carter 1 ; Schark,Jack 1 ; Patrick,Josh 1
RBI: Young,Carter 2 ; Schark,Jack 1 ; Moore,Cole 4 ; Patrick,Josh 1 ; Holy,Max 2 ; vanBreusegen,Brennen 1 ; Steele,Jacob 1
SH: Patrick,Josh 1
SF: Moore,Cole 1 ; Holy,Max 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Young,Carter 4 ; Schark,Jack 3 ; Moore,Cole 2 ; Patrick,Josh 1 ; Holy,Max 1 ; Heath,Chase 1 ; Steele,Jacob 1
HBP: vanBreusegen,Brennen 1
PO: Heath,Chase 1
Game Leaders
rf/p
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
2
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
3
AB
6
R
1
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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SS
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RHP
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OF
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Utility
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P
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LHP
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OF
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OF
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