WILMINGTON, Del. - Wednesday's non-conference game between Millersville and Wilmington came down to bullpen performance as the teams combined to use 14 pitchers. Wilmington held the advantage, scoring a 14-4 win over the second-ranked Marauders.
The Wildcats snapped Millersville's 10-game winning streak and dropped the Marauders to 2-10-1 in games at Wilmington since 2003. Both teams totaled 10 hits, but Wilmington was better with situational hitting, putting the leadoff hitter on base four times and going 4 for 13 with runners in scoring position while the Marauders went 2 for 11. Millersville also aided Wilmington's offense by uncharacteristically committing a season-high four errors--more than it had committed in the previous eight games combined.
The reigning PSAC East Athlete of the Week
Keegan Soltis continued swinging a hot bat, going 2 for 4 with a walk.
Jimmy Kirk,
Justin Taylor and
Mark McNelly also had two hits.
Matthew Williams drove in two runs.
The Marauders jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the third, but Wilmington responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning, two in the fourth, five in the fifth and three in the sixth. Much of the damage done in the fifth inning was self-inflicted as the Marauders hit two batters, walked two, threw two wild pitches and committed a throwing error and a catcher's interference before a bases-loaded double put three more runs on the board for the Wildcats. In the top of the sixth, Millersville scored a run on a Taylor single, but two runners were left stranded. Wilmington then added three runs on two errors, two walks and another wild pitch in the bottom of the inning.
Alex Kuehn logged the start for Millersville and pitched scoreless first and second innings before trouble in the third. Five Millersville pitches surrendered at least one run.
Cole Fisher pitched 2/3 scoreless,
Zack Tukis pitched a scoreless seventh, and
Matthew Williams struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Wilmington starter Chase Fleming pitched three innings. Both of the runs he allowed were unearned.
UP NEXT
Millersville travels to Kutztown on Friday for a PSAC East doubleheader.
