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Millersville

Jiana Maniscalco, Tori Fuss celebrate walk-off
2024 Sophia Stempinski

April showers force Marauders into a grueling stretch

4/10/2025 7:00:00 AM

By: Wes Champlin, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

COVERAGE LINKS

At West Chester (4/10):

At Mansfield (4/12):

Vs. Lock Haven (4/13):

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ABOUT THE GAMES

  • After battling Mother Nature for the past couple weeks, the Millersville Marauders (21–15, 5–11) have been forced into playing six games in four days against three bottom-dwelling Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) teams. They first hit the road to take on the West Chester Golden Rams (20–11, 6–8) on April 10 before traveling to Mansfield to face the Mountaineers (6–18, 4–12) on April 12. They then return home on Sunday to play the Lock Haven Bald Eagles (9–17, 3–13). 

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

  • Millersville has hit the skids of late, having gone 2–9 over its last 11 games. All of those were PSAC East matchups and four were against nationally ranked squads. The issue has been the results at the plate; the Marauders have scored more than four runs in a game just once in that stretch and tallied 10 or more hits just once as well (both occurred in the 11–8 win over Kutztown on April 4). This stretch has dropped them to seventh in the East with a 5–11 record. 
  • The most consistent Marauder all year has been freshman Jocelyn Langer, who extended her on-base streak to 34 games last week. She remains at the top of the PSAC in batting average (.439), second in on-base percentage (OBP, .515) and in a tie for second in runs scored (36). The rookie outfielder has a chance to finish among the program's single season top 10 in hits, batting average, runs, and on-base percentage. 
  • Another milestone that will be reached in the coming days belongs to Tori Fuss. The junior needs just one more hit for number 100 in her career. Prior to a rough day against Shepherd, Fuss was one of the team's hottest hitters. She went four-for-five and clubbed the go-ahead three-run home run in that win over Kutztown on Friday. Fuss' heroics were the deciding factor in the team's two victories over the last 11 games. 
  • Mollie White has been effective in the circle during her last three outings, totaling seven innings pitched and just one run allowed. She pitched two scoreless innings in both games against Shepherd on April 5. 

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN RAMS

  • After the Marauders forced the Golden Rams into back-to-back 10-inning games at Seaber Softball Stadium on March 18, they were tabbed as the No. 25 team in Division II by the NFCA. However, since garnering that distinction, West Chester has struggled mightily, dropping five in a row before beating Shepherd on April 4. 
  • One of the key players for the Golden Rams is Danielle Ciliberto, who has been effective both in the batters box and in the circle.  With the bat, she's put up a .362 average and an .829 OPS. Her true talents lie on the rubber, where she's 9–5 with a 1.92 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in 24 appearances including 15 starts. She pitched three scoreless frames against Bloomsburg her last time out and didn't allow an earned run in a complete-game effort against Shepherd on April 4. 
  • The Golden Rams' other starter will most likely be senior Makenzie Edwards. Edwards has pitched to a 2.75 ERA in 20 games but has walked two or more batters in six of her last seven outings; she's had a rough go of it in three of her last four outings, having giving up three or more runs in all three of those. 

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS

  • Mansfield has reclaimed its position as the ninth team of nine teams in the East division with a 3–13 record over its last 16 games. The Mounties helped Lock Haven break its 10-game losing streak with a 7–0 felling at the hands of the Bald Eagles on April 9. 
  • Their biggest threats with the bat have been Caydence Macik and Sarah Shupp. Macik, a junior, has put up a .297 average this season while Shupp's average sits at .338. Shupp has been one of two players on the roster to take their game to another level against PSAC teams; She's hitting .381 with a 1.052 OPS in 14 games played. The other is Natalie Blackstone, who is hitting .400 against conference opponents and had her best game of the season against the 'Ville on March 22. The senior clubbed two doubles and drove in four runs as part of a three-for-four day in that one.
  • If history holds true, the Mountaineers will use only three pitchers throughout the doubleheader on Saturday. Emma Maurer, Annabella Putnam and Reilly Storer have tossed every inning but one for Mansfield this season and all have conference ERAs in the fours. The Marauders put up seven runs on Putnam in five innings during the first meeting between these two teams but were stymied by Storer, who totaled 7.2 innings of work and gave up just one earned run in two appearances against Millersville. 

SCOUTING THE BALD EAGLES

  • Lock Haven enters this game having just broken a 10-game losing streak between March 22 and April 4. On the 22nd, the Bald Eagles were 3–3 in conference play and in the thick of the playoff hunt. Since then, they've tumbled down the division standings and now sit at 4–13 against PSAC teams in eighth place. As this is being written, Mansfield has the edge in the second game of their doubleheader. 
  • Leading the way with the bat for them this season has been freshman speedster Blaire Balestrini, who's put up a .368 average and stolen nine bases on nine attempts in her 27 games played. When the Marauders last faced the Bald Eagles, Balestrini was hitting well north of .400, but that average has dipped as the  rookie has entered conference play. Abby Robertson (.306) and Maci Brodzina (.314) round out Lock Haven's group of batters hitting above .300 in conference games. 
  • While the Bald Eagles have struggled somewhat in the batters box over the past few weeks, their most glaring weakness is in the circle. Keri Weneski is the only pitcher with an ERA below six in PSAC competition on Lock Haven's roster. She's coming off the best outing of her season, a complete-game shutout effort against the Mounties on April 9. All of the other pitching options for the Bald Eagles have struggled mightily in their last few outings, setting up a bounceback opportunity for the Marauder offense. 
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