Complete Box Score

BUTLER, Pa. – The old adage says that pitching wins championships. That certainly proved to be the case on Friday afternoon.

Mercyhurst senior righthander Brad Duffy improved to 6-1 on the season with a masterful, nine-inning, four-hit shutout, helping the Lakers stave off elimination from the PSAC Tournament with a 4-0 win over Millersville at Pullman Park in Butler. Duffy walked two and struck out a career-high 12 batters in the victory, helping the Lakers improve to 37-14 overall on the season. The Marauders' season came to an end with a 25-23-1 record.

Duffy's masterpiece also allowed head coach Joe Spano to rest a majority of his arms, which could prove to be huge considering the Lakers return to action at 6:30 p.m. on Friday evening against Kutztown.

The senior from Fombell, Pa. threw 126 pitches in the complete game shutout, 80 for strikes, and allowed just two baserunners into scoring position the entire afternoon. Millersville threatened just one time in the contest to break through, but a Marauder was cut down at home plate trying to score from first on a double down the left field line. Senior Shane Latshaw relayed to senior Ethan Santora, who threw a strike to sophomore Anthony Tomasone to keep Millersville off the board.

Mercyhurst got to work in the top of the first inning, giving Duffy a pair of runs to work with.

Freshman Kolin McMillen singled up the middle against Millersville starter Tad Barton after a ten-pitch at bat to start the inning. Tomasone was then hit by a pitch, followed by a passed ball, which advanced runners to second and third. Santora drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases with one out, which set up junior Zak Blair, who came through with a two-run single to left field, driving home both McMillen and Tomasone for a 2-0 lead. Barton got out of the inning, snagging a sharp liner off the bat of sophomore Colin Loughner to end the frame, leaving runners at second and third.

Senior Matt Adamczyk lined a two-out single to left field in the top of the third inning, scoring Latshaw, to give Mercyhurst a 3-0 lead. Latshaw started the inning after being hit by a pitch, the third batter Barton hit in the first three innings.

Mercyhurst built its lead to 4-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Back-to-back, one-out singles by McMillen and Tomasone put runners on the corners and ended the afternoon for Barton. Latshaw greeted reliever Mike McMonagle with an RBI single to left, driving home McMillen. McMonagle got out of the inning for Millersville with two lineouts by Santora and Blair, preventing any further damage.

That was all the offense Mercyhurst could muster the rest of the way, as McMonagle did a fine job in relief to keep Millersville within striking distance. McMonagle ended up going four-and-a-third innings and allowed just two hits.

Offensively, McMillen and Blair each had two of Mercyhurst's eight hits in the victory. Millersville's Zach Stone had three of the four Marauder hits on the afternoon.

Thanks to Duffy, Mercyhurst lives to see another game in the double-elimination PSAC Tournament, as the Lakers will take on Kutztown at 6:30 p.m. on Friday evening. Kutztown has not lost a game in the tournament, defeating Gannon 5-4 on Wednesday and West Chester 4-2 on Thursday. You can follow all the action from Pullman Park at PSAC Baseball Tournament Central.