FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The Marauders rolled into Fairmont for an afternoon doubleheader against the Falcons on the last day of their spring trip. Millersville starter Alex Schaefer was looking to make history, as she entered the game tied with Cassidy Pinchorski for first in team history in career strikeouts at 331. Schaefer got the record almost immediately, but two thrilling games ensued after that. The Marauders lost 8-7 on a walk-off in game one but took the nightcap 9-7 in extra innings. 
 
GAME ONE:
Schaefer would get that record-breaking punchout early on in a back and forth game one. With one out in the bottom of the first, the senior generated a whiff on a 3-2 pitch to nab the record. She would finish the game with five strikeouts, putting her career total at 336. 
 
The Falcons did tally a run in that first frame, but Schaefer settled in, holding them to just the one run over the first three innings. That 1-0 advantage held until the Marauder half of the fourth when Aleese Angelo stepped to the plate. She picked up right where she left off yesterday, ripping her seventh home run of the season over the right field fence to tie the game at one. It was Angelo's sixth long ball of the road trip as well as her sixth in her last six games. 
 
The hosts took the lead right back with two runs in the bottom of the inning, as the teams scored in every half-inning from that point forward. The Marauders entered the bottom of the seventh down 7-4 and looking for a comeback. Kendra Bumgardner led off with an infield single and Gabby D'Ottavio walked a batter later to put two on with one out for Gabi Turner. She doubled to the right field fence, scoring Bumgardner and putting two runners in scoring position. The Marauders were in business. Hailey Watlington was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Bryn Spoerl singled to the shortstop to cut the deficit to one. 
 
Marli Schreiner got a chance to play hero with the bases full and came through, trading the tying run for an important out on a fielder's choice. They were unable to take the lead, however, and hoped for extras as the game moved to the home half of the seventh. That chance would never come due to the efforts of the Falcon offense; three straight singles ended the game 8-7 in their favor. 

GAME TWO:
The second game was just as exciting as the first. Fairmont State took a four run lead into the top of the fourth inning, when the visitors answered with a four spot of their own courtesy of Turner. She came to the plate with the bases loaded and deposited a pitch over the center field fence for the first Marauder grand slam of the season. That tied the game until the bottom of the inning, when the Falcons responded with two more runs.
 
D'Ottavio tied the game yet again in Millersville's next at bat with a two run single to right center field. That's where the score would stay until extras due to the efforts of Schaefer, who entered in relief to begin the fifth inning. She got the final 12 outs and the victory on her record-breaking day in poetic fashion. The only runner to score was the 'zombie' runner that begins extra innings on second base.
 
By the time that run was scored, however, the Marauders had taken a 9-7 lead on the strength of three eighth-inning runs. The rally started with a one-out walk by Watlington. Allyson Black was called up to pinch hit and delivered with a single to load the bases, as the extra-innings runner was on third base. A wild pitch moved them all up 60 feet and gave Millersville their first lead of the game. Victoria Fuss provided the big blow with a two run double one batter later that put the contest out of reach. Fuss finished with a stellar day at the plate overall, going three for four with a run scoring triple in game one.
 
GAME NOTES

• Bumgardner is one hit away from 100 for her career. When she passes that mark, the junior will join Sam Fried as players who have cleared 100 hits this season. Fried did it on February 21 against Bloomfield. 
• Turner's grand slam was her third home run of the season, which ranks second on the team to Angelo. It was the second grand slam of her career, as her first came against Catawba on February 25, 2022.

POSTGAME REACTION FROM HEAD COACH JEN PROBST

• On Schaefer's record: "Alex is a pitcher that has developed and improved every year. Her work ethic is excellent, and it has allowed her to improve and achieve this milestone."
• On the trip as a whole: "This trip showed me that we are a team that won't give up and will keep battling. We weren't shut out and had opportunities to win every game.  We will continue to work on closing out games, but it was nice to get it done in this last game."

UP NEXT

• The Marauders have a week off before their next contest at Bowie State, which is scheduled for March 15 at 2 p.m.