The Millikin baseball team defeated Blackburn College 8-2 on March 22 at Sunnyside Park.

            Millikin got strong pitching from Max Couch and Josh Schultz.  Couch earned the victory throwing the first six innings and eight hits and two earned runs while striking out three.  Couch is now 2-0 on the season.  Schultz pitched shutout baseball over the last three innings to earn his first save.  Schultz held the Beavers to one hit.

            Mike Mazairz and Theo Facer were each 2-3 with an RBI.  Andrew Agee was 2-4 with two runs scored.  Dan Weber had three RBIs going 1-3 at the plate.

            Millikin scored one run in the first when Maziarz singled home Andrew Hendrian who had walked and stole second.

            After Blackburn tied the game in the second inning, the Big Blue regained the lead with a run in the fourth inning.  Maziarz had a one out doubled and scored on a Facer single.

            Millikin played some small ball in the fifth inning scoring four times to break open the ballgame.  Agee started the inning with a single and moved to second on a Jared Dosien bunt single.  Millikin then scored two runs on an error by Blackburn on an Adam Shook bunt.  Hendrian then beat out a bunt moving Shook over to third.  Weber drove in the third run of the inning on a sacrifice fly.  Millikin's final run of the inning came when Sean Ryan was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

            Millikin added two more runs in the sixth.  Agee doubled to start the inning.  After a Dosien walk, Millikin executed the double steal setting the stage for Weber's two run single.

            Dan Witkus was 3-4 for Blackburn while Adam Bradley went 2-3.

            Millikin is now 4-8 and will host Washington University on March 30 at 5 p.m.