MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - The Millersville Marauders' lineup just keeps cranking out runs. On Monday, Millersville posted the most runs scored at Cooper Park since 2015 in a 19-5 rout of D'Youville.
The Marauders (8-3) improved to 4-0 at home and have scored 10 or more runs in five of their last six wins. They've outscored teams 122-61, averaging 11.1 runs per game and 13.8 runs per game at Cooper Park.
Millersville scored a run in each of the first seven innings, dipping deep into the bench, sending 15 different hitters to plate and finishing with 15 hits and 15 walks drawn.
Jimmy Kirk led the attack with three hits and four RBIs.
"The offense is deep," said Millersville head coach
Jon Shehan. "It's fun to get guys at-bats. We have a really good freshmen class, as well as sophomores and redshirt freshmen. There are guys who, at a lot of places and in a lot of seasons, would be playing every day. It's fun to see them go out and compete and get two or three at-bats in a game."
Slugger
Matthew Williams, named the PSAC East Athlete of the Week during the game, went 1 for 2 with two runs and two RBIs at the plate, and made his first start on the mound since February of 2023. D'Youville took an early 2-0 lead after a hit batsman, two-out walk and RBI single, and he worked 2 1/3 innings, giving up three runs.
"He was competitive," said Shehan. "Overall I thought he threw strikes in the first inning but kinda backed off a little and let his foot off the gas. We hoped for three to five innings, but it was good for him to go out and get his first start in a long time."
The early deficit didn't last long. The Marauders first four batters reached on free passes, and Kirk's sacrifice fly tied the game at 2-2. Millersville took a 6-3 lead into the fifth, and then blew open the game with 12 runs over the next two frames.
Keegan Soltis, Williams and Kirk all had RBI doubles in the fifth.
Rece Ritchey worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings for his first win since March 31, 2023. It was also his first appearance at Cooper Park since May 6, 2023 as he missed nearly all of 2024 with an injury.
Matt Shamany, making his first appearance at Cooper Park since March 1, 2024, provided three scoreless innings without giving up a hit, walking just one batter. It was his longest outing since pitching three innings on Feb. 27, 2022.
"Rece showed signs of being really good," said Shehan. "Even some of his misses showed signs of being really competitive. He's a guy we want to stretch out and give a shot for a conference job on the weekend. We haven't really figured that out and put all the pieces together yet. Shamany ate three innings and did a really good job. After playing as much as we did this weekend and having two more games the next 48 hours, we needed someone to step up and help the bullpen out. He did that today."
Millersville's busy week continues with a rematch against D'Youville Tuesday at 1 p.m.
