LYNCHBURG, Va. - Put it down in the record books, folks. The Scots have won their first NCAA Tournament game since 1974, and their first DIII Tournament victory EVER, defeating Marymount 8-6. 

An explosive first inning that saw all nine batters at the plate for Maryville, put the Scots on top  and they never surrendered the lead. 

The Scots were able to plate four runs in the bottom of the first inning, thanks to clutch hitting. With no one on and two out, Ashton Whiteaker would reach base on a fielding error by the Marymount shortstop. Frank Derner singles to left center next, and would advance to second on the attempted throw out of Whiteaker at third, which was unsuccessful. Colin Dunworth would be hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Maryville. 

Cody Meier smoked a ball to deep center field, just over the head of the fielder, allowing all three base runners to score and Meier to get to second. Zach Devries would be walked the next at-bat, and then Brayden Evans would bring in Meier on a single up the middle. Evans would go 3-5 on the day with two RBI and two stolen bags. The inning would end on a Matt Hall flyout to right field. 



The Marymount Saints would counter with their own scoring effort in the top of the second, getting three runs home on a sac fly, an RBI single, and a runner stealing home. 

Maryville and Marymount would trade blows the rest of the way, with at least one run crossing the plate in every inning between the two schools (except the ninth). 

Cody Meier and Zach Devires would start the third inning off with both being walked. Brayden Evans would get his second RBI of the day on a single to left-center that would plate Meier from second. Matt Hall would execute a perfect sacrifice bunt to put both runners in scoring position, but the inning would end with a Reece Jordan strikeout and a Jacob Johnston ground out to short. 



Ashton Whiteaker and Colin Dunworth would get on base in the fourth, both being hit-by-pitch. Cody Meier would get on base on a fielder's choice that eliminated Whiteaker at third and advanced Dunworth to second. Zach Devries would bring Dunworth home on a single to center field to give the Scots another run, leading 6-3 after the fourth.

Ashton Whiteaker would bring home Reece Jordan in the fifth on a double to right center after Jordan reached on a fielder's choice. Whiteaker put the Scots up 7-3. 

Marymount would get a single run home in back-to-back innings in the fifth and sixth, 7-5 Scots. 

In the seventh, Ashton Whiteaker would belt a moon-shot home run over the left field wall, even with the wind blowing in towards home. It would be the Scots' first home run since April 19th against LaGrange (Matt Hall hit that one). Maryville would go on to load the bases in the inning, but couldn't capitalize on it and would get just the one run across. 8-5 Scots.



Marymount kept trying to chip away at Maryville's lead, plating another run in the eighth. The Scots would go three-up three-down in the bottom half of the inning, setting up the final frame of play for the Saints in the ninth down just two runs.

The game-tying run would get on base for Marymount, after a single up the middle and a hit-by-pitch, but relief pitcher Xavier Resto would get the final out on a fly-out to right field, ending the game and earning the Scots their first NCAA tournament victory since1974. 

Starting pitcher Nic Mirabella had an exemplary outing, pitching five innings and getting six strikeouts. Mirabella earned the win for the Scots and now sits at a 5-1 record with a total of 77 strikeouts on the year. He earned his 200th career strikeout in the game, totaling 204 over his four years as a Scot. 



Xavier Resto would pitch the final four innings for Maryville, getting three strikeouts of his own and earning a save, his third of the year. 

Some impressive batting lines in the game for the Scots were Ashton Whiteaker, going 3-4 with two runs and two RBI, with a home run and a double. Cody Meier was 2-3 with three RBI, two runs, a double, and two walks. Brayden Evans went 3-5 with two RBI and two stolen bases.

The Scots advance to play Emory tomorrow at 10:00 AM in another elimination game. The winner of that game will advance to play Lynchburg at 1:30 PM.