MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Alex Mykut came within inches of throwing the seventh no-hitter in Millersville history, and game two starter Conor Cook was nearly just as good as Millersville swept a PSAC East doubleheader from Kutztown Sunday at Cooper Park by scores of 6-0 and 8-1. 

Mykut (6-0) pitched 6 2/3 no-hit innings allowing just three walks before Kutztown's Jason Wolff smacked a rising line drive toward the right-field corner. Millersville right fielder Sam Morris turned and ran, but the ball sailed just beyond his reach and one-hopped the wall for a double. Mykut, however, immediately retired Cole Regn for the game's 21st out and settled for a complete game, one-hit shutout with seven strikeouts. 

"After our performance on Friday, we really needed a good outing to get our team back on track," said Millersville head coach Jon Shehan. "It's nice to be able to rely on Alex in game three. He's pitching like a No. 1, and man, he's tough. He gets into a rhythm and their offense speeds themselves up. He gets them where he wants them, and his breaking ball has been really good, too."

Mykut retired the first nine hitters before issuing a leadoff walk in the top of the fourth. He also walked one in the fifth and one in the sixth, but faced the minimum that inning as he rolled a 5-4-3 double play ball off the bat of Kutztown's leading hitter Michael Burns. Mykut threw 94 pitches and continually induced weak contact. Kutztown hit only four balls to the outfield, three of which were lazy flies to center, and the other was Wolff's history-spoiling double. 

"It's all about his confidence," said Shehan. "He believes that he's good again. Now a couple of years out from surgery he is back to where he was and maybe a little bit better. That's because he knows he has nothing to lose. That's a dangerous place to be if you are the opponent facing him."

Cook (4-0) stymied the Golden Bears as well, scattering five hits and a walk while striking out six. He was ultra-efficient, throwing just 84 pitches. With a seven-run lead, Shehan elected to get his bullpen some work, and Harry Prince pitched a 1-2-3 seventh.

"Conor is filling up the zone with all four pitches," said Shehan. "He's been just as effective against lefties as he has against righties."

Mykut's outing was his third complete game in his last four starts, and he's pitched at least five innings while not allowing more than one run in all seven of his starts. Cook, who missed all of 2023 with an injury, worked a season-high in innings Sunday, marking his longest outing since the 2022 PSAC Tournament. The Marauders have allowed just seven runs in their last six home games and are 7-1 overall at home. 

"It's been really good pitching and really good defense," said Shehan. "I'm not sure where it went all week when we didn't play well defensively. But this group can really catch the ball. Hopefully we can keep that up and our pitchers keep throwing strikes."

With Mykut and Cook pitching quickly and effectively, the Marauder defense played 14 error-free innings after a rough patch last week in which they committed nine in the previous three games. Millersville's usual left fielder, Keegan Soltis was forced into emergency catcher duty for all four games of the series, and he threw out a runner in game two. 

"It's easy to play defense when you have guys attacking the zone," said Shehan. "Alex and Conor both did a good job against the leadoff hitter, and that lets the defense play a little more relaxed...Keegan hasn't caught since high school. Maybe a little in the fall his freshman year here. It takes me back to the Mansfield series when (now assistant coach) Bobby Dorta played second base for us. You get in those situations where you need to save a guy for a weekend to get someone healthy. Keegan could have allowed the situation to get too big, but he went back there, did his job, and played his butt off."

Millersville received an offensive spark from center fielder Jeff Sabater who was bumped from No. 9 in the lineup to the leadoff spot Sunday. Sabater entered the weekend third in Division II in stolen bases but had drawn just six walks in the first 24 games. But after going 2 for 4 with a steal in game one, Sabater drew three walks, scored three runs and swiped four bases in game two to boost his season total to 29, just 11 away from the school record that has stood since 1987. 

"He is a catalyst," said Shehan. "Early in the year he wasn't taking enough pitches, and that's why we didn't want to move him up in the lineup. But his at-bats are getting better and better. He's a weapon. He can beat you in so many different ways. When he swings at good pitches, he's tough to pitch too."

Sam Morris also turned in a stellar day at the plate, going 2 for 3 in the opener and 3 for 3 with three RBIs in the nightcap. Cole Houser drove in two in a 3 for 4 outing in game two. 

GAME NOTES

• Conor Cook, Mike Costello and Harry Prince combined to throw a one-hitter on March 3 against Goldey-Beacom but five walks and an error resulted in three runs for Goldey-Beacom. The last time a Marauder starter allowed one hit over seven innings was March 5, 2022, when Ben Wilchacky pitched a complete-game shutout against Goldey-Beacom. 
• Millersville has won 18 of the last 19 games against Kutztown and has won 12 series and split four since Shehan's first season in 2007. 

UP NEXT

• Millersville travels to Lock Haven for a doubleheader on Friday, March 29.