Back-to-Back PSAC Champs! Ritchey's gem leads Marauders past Golden Rams

Saturday, May 9

Slippery Rock, PA

1:00 PM

Millersville University

36-16

West Chester

39-10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
West Chester	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	6	1
Millersville	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	X	2	4	0

Back-to-Back PSAC Champs! Ritchey's gem leads Marauders past Golden Rams

5/9/2026 4:31:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Ethan Hulsey, Director of Athletic Communications

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - With a steady calm and steely nerves, senior left-hander Rece Ritchey gave Millersville the best 8 2/3 innings of his career, and with a fiery and unabashed confidence, Joe Morrissey gave Millersville the one final out it needed, stranding the game-tying run 90 feet away and clinching a second consecutive PSAC Championship with a nail-biting 2-1 win over rival West Chester.

Millersville has now won three of the last five PSAC Tournament titles, but this one was as different as it was unlikely. In each of the first three titles won under Jon Shehan, Millersville was the No. 1 seed. This time, the Marauders were the No. 4 seed from the Eastern Division, having lost three of four to West Chester to reach the postseason. These Marauders, with 19 newcomers on the roster and three freshmen in the starting lineup, had to win a play-in game, surprisingly but soundly beat Seton Hill with a tournament record six home runs, and then received a two-out, bottom-of-the-ninth, walk-off home run from Jimmy Kirk in the semis. It was the first truly single elimination tournament in PSAC history, and the Marauders navigated it with a 4-0 record.

There's been a lot of special championships (at Millersville), but this one feels different, said Shehan. These guys have been through a lot together, just getting to know each other with so many new guys on the roster. The seniors have done a tremendous job being glue. We have 18-year-olds and 24-year-olds. It's been tough at times and a roller coaster of a season. But they played with a ton of confidence--almost like they knew they were going to win this weekend.

Ritchey is one of those seniors. His career path has never been smooth. He started at the University of Virginia, transferred to Millersville and battled to recover from a multitude of surgeries and injuries. He pitched a grand total of 29 2/3 innings--all out of the bullpen--before 2026. But with a championship on the line, Ritchey threw 122 pitches--27 more than his previous career high--and struck out seven without issuing a walk. The one run on his line scored on a wild pitch after he exited the game with two outs in the top of the ninth.

'Incredible, said Shehan. Rece came here years ago from UVA hurt, and he wasn't able to put it together, but this season has been magical. We aren't done yet, but that was amazing. We had a good bullpen ready to go, but Morrissey threw 50 pitches yesterday. We needed that kind of start. He threw a ton of strikes. He had all his pitches working, and he competed. You could tell he wanted it more.

This is why you come to Millersville--to play in the big games and have opportunities like this, said Ritchey.

Ritchey mixed a four-seam fastball with his diving slider and utilized his sinker to perfection, rolling double-play balls in the top of the first and third innings and finished the game with 15 ground ball outs.

Sinker command, early contact and keeping it low, said Ritchey. The slider was on-and-off but I had it when I needed it. The mentality is the same as it has been all year. We have a great defense behind us, so it is attack, attack, attack.

He located in and out and went to the four-seam up for some swing and misses, said Shehan. The sinker was really good today. They kept hitting it into the ground. He had a lot of life on the fastball. That had to be one of his better games for his velocity.

Ritchey relied on steady composure to preserve Millersville's miniscule lead. He ran into his first real trouble in the fourth, surrendering a two-out single before hitting Hunter Smith and throwing a wild pitch. When fell behind 2-1 to Patrick Gozdan, pitching coach Eli Nabholz made a mound visit that turned the momentum. Ritchey responded with a called strike, and three pitches later, he fanned Gozdan to strand two. He was perfect in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, and in the eighth, with a runner on first with leadoff hitter Carter Rust in the box, Ritchey won a six-pitch battle, getting Rust to foul-tip the third strike into Maddox Yost's mitt. Even then, Ritchey remained businesslike and unemotional, slowly walking to his dugout without a change of demeanor.

With more than 100 pitches already thrown and the heart of West Chester's lineup looming, Ritchey faced a tall task in the ninth. After Caleb Strawhecker's leadoff single, Drew Simpson hit a screaming line drive down the left field line that Troy Chamberlin tracked down for the first out. Ritchey then fanned Austin Stalker with a 2-2 fastball up in the zone for out No. 2. Ritchey and Smith battled to a full count, and on the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Smith doubled down the left field line, putting the tying run in scoring position. That's when Shehan called for Morrissey. Ritchey exited to a standing ovation from the Millersville faithful, and Morrissey entered just 24 hours removed from throwing 4 1/3 scoreless in the semifinal.

I just want the ball. I want to do it for my teammates, and do I want that last out? Of course, said Ritchey. But Joe is the best reliever in the conference, and it's great to have Joe back there.

The second pitch to Gozdan skipped to the backstop, allowing West Chester to pull within a run. Morrissey, however, responded by attacking. Gozdan fouled off the next pitch for the second strike, and Morrissey went right back to his fastball, blowing it by Gozdan for the final out. Morrissey made three appearances in the tournament's four games and logged a win, a save and six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

We trust Joe, said Shehan. He's a strike machine. He's been the guy all year, and there's no one else you can go to in that situation. He's had an incredible season. He's the guy the whole team wants in that situation.

Millersville scored both of its runs in the first two innings. Donis Rodriguez, voted the PSAC Tournament MVP for his stellar four-game performance, drew a full-count walk to start the game and promptly stole second and third base. After Jimmy Kirk's one-out walk, Sammy Laux hit a bouncer to shortstop but beat the throw to first to prevent the double play and allow Rodriguez to score. Laux pulled up injured on the sprint and was forced to exit the game.

Rodriguez came through again in the second inning, smashing a ground-rule double over the right center field wall, pushing Chamberlin home for a 2-0 lead. That would be it for Millersville's offense, but it was enough. Rodriguez was the lone Marauder to reach base twice. Spots two through five in the lineup were held without a hit, and the Marauders finished with just four hits and two walks drawn.

I tip my cap. West Chester's arms were really good today, said Shehan. The lefty came in and carved. Simpson has been un-hittable for us. Donis came up with a huge hit, and he had a really good day today.

Rodriguez finished the tournament hitting .412 with seven hits, five runs, three RBIs and five stolen bases.

Millersville's seniors played a significant role in the tournament run. Alex Kuehn, Matt Shamany, Ritchey and Morrissey were stellar on the mound. Matthew Williams totaled six hits, including four against Seton Hill. Brady Ebbert recorded six hits, four runs and a pair of homers.

The seniors know how to win, said Shehan. This is Jimmy Kirk's fourth championship. It says something about understanding what to do in big games. They've seen it done and they've done it.

With the tournament championship, the Marauders receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Atlantic Regional for the 13th consecutive season. Their seed will be announced on Sunday's NCAA Selection Show.