MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Millersville scored two runs in the first inning, Sam Morris and Matthew Williams hit home runs, and Alex Kuehn pitched seven strong innings, leading the Marauders to an 8-2 win over Seton Hill and pulling to within a win of the NCAA Super Regional. 

Williams' seventh-inning blast to straight-away center was his fourth of the postseason, second in as many games, and his 17th of the season, breaking Millersville's single-season home run record. Williams and Amani Jones combined for six of the Marauders' 12 hits. 

The Griffins entered the game with the nation's best team ERA and had gone 13 consecutive games without allowing more than five runs. Last week in the PSAC Tournament, the Marauders scored one run in the first eight innings before rallying late. Millersville's fast start Friday was key, something that Millersville's Jon Shehan has learned in his 27 head-to-head meetings and 14 NCAA regional games against Seton Hill's Marc Marizzaldi since 2011. 

"The best thing you can do against  Marizzaldi club is get ahead early," said Shehan. "That will slow down the running game and the double steals, the fake steals, the squeeze plays and everything they run. They are a very well-coached team, and if you let them hang around they will beat you in a variety of ways. I think we did a good job with that today, and hopefully we can do it again tomorrow."

Jeff Sabater led off the bottom of the first with a walk. Keegan Soltis then hit behind the breaking shortstop as Sabater attempted to steal second. Williams singled deep in the hole at shortstop. Owen Henne's diving effort temporarily prevented a run, but Bren Taylor was hit by the first pitch, bringing in the game's first run. While Morris grounded into a double play, it was enough to get home Soltis. 

"It takes the pressure off for sure, especially against a good team like them," said Shehan. "We struggled to score when we played them last week. It was nice to throw a couple runs on the scoreboard."

With the early run support, Kuehn could do what he does best--hammer the strike zone and let his defense work. Kuehn scattered five hits, did not walk a single batter, and held in check an offense that put up 14 runs in its first game of the NCAA Atlantic Regional. 

"Fantastic," said Shehan. "(Kuehn) has been really good. He cleaned some things up this week and changed his repertoire up a little bit. The adjustment on his breaking ball was good and it helped him today."

The Marauders' weren't just solid in the field, they were spectacular at times. In the top of the third, Donis Rodriguez and Amani Jones cut down a leadoff single with a slick 4-6-3 double play. In the seventh, after Seton Hill had cut Millersville's lead to 5-2, Jones ranged up the middle, gloved a hard-hit ball off the bat of Mark Black, spun and threw a strike to first. Seton Hill's Colin Ahr followed with a single, but Rodriguez ended the inning with some defensive magic. Jakob Haynes' smash deflected off the the top of the pitcher's mound, and Rodriguez diving with full extension on the shortstop side of second base, snared the ball, hopped to his feet and fired to first. 

"When Alex pitches, you have to be really good in the infield because he rolls a lot of ground balls," said Shehan. "All the way around, the infield was fantastic. The play that Donis made up the middle was sensational. There's not a lot of guys who get to the ball, and he made it look easy."

Immediately following the middle-infield wizardry of the top half of the seventh, Millersville scored three runs on Williams' two-run homer and a Jimmy Kirk single up the middle. Matt Shamany entered in the eighth and retired six of the seven batters he faced. 

"These guys have a lot of confidence right now," said Shehan. "It's nice to be the head coach and just let them do their thing. The best thing I can do is stay out of their way and let them play."

Millersville's 44th win is the fifth-most in program history. The Marauders can advance to the best-of-three NCAA Super Regional with one win over Seton Hill on Saturday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.