JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — The WSSU Rams, the #7 seed in the Atlantic Regional, defeated the #4 seed on Saturday, the Millersville Marauders, to advance to the Atlantic Region semifinals on Sunday.
Millersville started the scoring early, as the Mauraders scored twice in the first inning when Jimmy Cain singled to left field, scoring Dan Neff and Chas McCormick.
The WSSU Rams were able to score one in the top of the second when John Garcia singled to left field, allowing Michael McNamara to score to make the score 2-1.
Landon Steiner would give WSSU its first lead when he hit a homer to left field, scoring Ivaqn Acuna and himself, giving the Rams a 3-2 advantage.
The Rams gave themselves some breathing room in the fourth, by scoring three urns on four hits. It all started with a single from Emilio Abreu, scoring Garcia. Landon Steiner then singled to center, allowing Ivan Acuna to score. With the bases loaded, Millersville would walk Michael McNamara, bringing home Emilio Abreu, giving the Rams a 6-2 lead.
Millersville answered in the bottom of the fourth when Chas McCormick tripled down the left field line, scoring Ted Williams and Eric Callahan, followed by Dan Neff grounding out to Emilio Abreu, but scoring Chas McCormick, to cut the lead to 6-5.
Winston-Salem State immediately responded with a two-run double off the bat of Ivan Acuna, the 2017 CIAA Player of the Year, scoring Garcia and Randy Norris.
The Rams increased their lead in the sixth inning, when John Garcia singled to center, allowing Matt Mauldin to come around to score.
Millersville answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to pull closer.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Maurauders picked up another run to pull within one, when Chas McCormick singled to right cetner, scoring Manning Brookens.
But the WSSU Rams would answer with a run in the eighth, when Randy Norfris reached on an error on a sac bunt and Michael McNamara scored.
Kanoa Hironaka would shut down the Millersville team the rest of the way, as the WSSU Rams would take the game 10-8 to survive and advance to the next round.
Landon Steiner went two for six with three runs batted in, including a home run, while John Garcia went three for four with two runs batted in and two runs scored, while Ivan Acuna went two for five with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Emilio Abreu finished two for six with a run scored and one run batted in, and Michael McNamara went one for gthree with two runs scored and a run batted in. Randy Norris went one for five with a run scored and Brandon Ford went one for four. Matt Mauldin went one for one with a run scored.
Will Beeson got the win for the Rams going 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs with four walks and three strikeouts. Garrison Roy pitched 0.2 innings our of he bullpen, and Kanoa Hironaka pitched the final three innings allowing five hits and one run, to pick up the save.
WSSU will now face Shippensburg, from the PSAC, in the Regional Semi Finals at 12 p.m.
WSSU head coach, Kevin Ritsche, picked up his 250th win with the win over Millersville.
Courtesy: WSSU Athletics
