Shippensburg baseball won two of four home games this weekend against Slippery Rock, moving their record to 9-4. It was a close series throughout, with none of the four games being decided by more than two runs.

Slippery Rock took game one of the series on Friday, prevailing in 12 innings by a score of 6-4. The Raiders came back from a 4-1 deficit to force extra innings, tying the game in the eighth thanks to freshman Mike Heckman’s first career home run, but gave up a two-run homer in the 12th that proved to be the difference.

Heckman went three-for-four on the day, scoring two runs as well. Junior Andrew Chronister had a pair of RBIs in the game as well. On the mound, graduate Noah Nabholz went seven innings, giving up four runs (three earned) while picking up six strikeouts. Redshirt freshman Eric Bohenek got the loss after pitching five relief innings of two-run ball.

The Raiders took Saturday's game by a score of 3-1, scoring two runs in the first inning before picking up an insurance run in the sixth.

Junior Gabe Stotler was the star of the game, throwing a complete game on the mound, giving up one unearned run on four hits. He struck out five batters while walking two, finishing the complete game with 103 pitches.

Offensively for Shippensburg, junior Austin Baal led the way, going two-for-four with a pair of RBI singles. Junior Morgan Wyatt had the other RBI of the game, while sophomore Gio Calamia went two-for-four scoring a pair of runs.

The series concluded with a doubleheader on Sunday, featuring a pair of seven-inning games. Shippensburg took the first of these by a score of 3-2, scoring a come-from-behind win after going down 2-0 in the first inning.

Baal had the go-ahead RBI single in the third inning, part of a two-for-two performance with a walk. Chronister and graduate Justin Byler each had RBI singles as well.

Freshman J.T. Weaver moved to 3-0 on the season by throwing a complete game, giving up two earned runs over his seven innings of work. He also allowed two hits and two walks while striking out eight batters.

The final game of the series went to Slippery Rock, who picked up a 6-4 win in a game that was eerily similar to Friday’s. It had the same score, and also featured a comeback from the Raiders, who were down 4-0 in the third, before giving up a two-run homer in the final inning.

The Raiders scored their four runs on only four hits, with no batter picking up more than one. Chronister had a two-run double in the fifth, with Byler and Baal each picking up an RBI as well. Junior Austen LaBarre struggled in his first start of the season, giving up four earned runs on seven hits in 2.2 innings. Junior Ethan Miller got stuck with the loss, giving up two earned in four innings of relief.

The Raiders have one last weekend series before PSAC play begins, and it is home this weekend against Le Moyne. The series is a pair of doubleheaders, one each on Saturday and Sunday, both starting at noon.

Share