MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - No. 8 Millersville is full steam ahead entering the postseason after completing a four-game series sweep of No. 16 East Stroudsburg by scores of 11-5 and 14-6 on Friday at Cooper Park.
Millersville, now 38-7, has won 14 of its last 15 games, and that one loss was in extra innings. It was Millersville's first series sweep of East Stroudsburg since 2011, and the four wins capped Millersville's PSAC East record at 24-4--one win away from the program record for division wins. The Marauders entered the series ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Atlantic Region rankings, and now 7-1 against the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the ranking, and the PSAC Tournament played at Cooper Park, they are all but assured of not playing another road game.
Before Thursday, East Stroudsburg had allowed double-digit runs just three times in 34 games. Millersville put up 39 runs in the sweep, scoring 11 or more three times. Millersville's 25 runs on Friday came on just 15 hits as East Stroudsburg walked 16 hitters and hit three. The Marauders jumped out to sizable leads early in both games, scoring five in the first three innings in game one and five in the first two innings in game two.
Jimmy Kirk and
Sammy Laux delivered RBI doubles in the opener, and Kirk drove in five runs in game two, hitting a grand slam as part of a nine-run fifth inning. He finished the day with eight RBIs.
Sam Morris totaled four hits in the doubleheader.
Jeff Sabater had just two at-bats in game two, but he made the most of them, leading off with a double and then blasting his first career home run in the second inning.
With the series win in hand, Millersville sent 14 different hitters to the plate and used five pitchers in game two, pulling starter
Garet Blankenbiller after 2 2/3. Joe Morrisey (2-1) did not allow an earned run in 2 1/3, picking up the win.
Alex Kuehn (6-1) worked 5 2/3 strong innings in the opener, allowing just two runs.
Millersville begins its PSAC Tournament on Wednesday, May 7, against PSAC West No. 4 seed Slippery Rock at 8 p.m.
