Game 1
Game 2

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - With a doubleheader sweep on the road at Lock Haven's Foundation Field Friday, 9-0 and 5-0, and an 18-2 loss by California (Pa.) at Indiana (Pa.) in game one of a doubleheader, the Shippensburg University baseball team moved into a tie for first place in the PSAC Western Division with California (Pa.) with just one day remaining on the conference schedule.

The Red Raiders (31-21, 12-6 PSAC West), the defending PSAC champions who also posted their fourth 30-win season out of the last five, will be looking for their first outright Western Division title on Saturday when they conclude their four-game series at home on Senior Day.

Since moving to the Western Division prior to the 2005 season, Shippensburg has finished in a four-way tie for first in 2005, tied for second in 2006 and third in 2007.

In game one, Red Raider junior Matt Wright won his third start out of the last four, allowing just four hits over five innings and striking out six. He was replaced in the sixth by freshman Alex Hartman who made his fifth appearance of the season, allowing only one hit over the final two innings to complete the shutout.

With six strikeouts, Wright moved within one of the single-season school record of 113 set by Evan Englebrook '04 in 2004. For his career, Wright now has 294 career strikeouts and needs just six to become only the third player in PSAC history to reach 300.

Strong pitching also proved to be the difference in game two as Shippensburg junior Tim Freshour picked up his team-leading eighth win of the season after tossing his ninth complete game in 12 starts this year. He allowed just four hits over seven innings and struck out four. Of Freshour's nine complete games, three have been by shutout.

Offensively on Friday, senior Justin Garber went a combined 6-for-8 with four RBIs and two runs. In game two, he was a perfect 4-for-4 with a two-run triple in the top of the third. Garber has had at least one hit in 40 of 48 games this season, with two or more in 29 of those games.

With six hits on the day, Garber now has 84 this season, breaking his previous career-high of 82 set in 2006. He is also just seven hits shy of the single-season school record of 91 set by Chad Stecker '05 in 2004.

For his career, Garber has totaled a school record 267 hits, passing Stecker's mark of 254 on April at West Chester. He is only 17 behind Mansfield's Greg Robertson who holds the all-time PSAC record after totaling 284 from 1994-97.

In game one, Shippensburg led 4-0 heading into the top of the third after a two-run double in the first by sophomore Rick Shumway and a two-run single in the second by Garber. Shumway then drew a bases loaded walk in the fourth to increase the lead to five before the Red Raiders sealed the win with four runs in the fifth.

Senior Eric Dezell drove in the first run on an RBI-single that scored freshman Jesse Smith who pinch ran for Freshour before Dezell and junior Sean Killian scored on a two-run double by junior Tyler Redick. The final run came on sacrifice fly by sophomore Kevin Scholly that scored Garber.

Garber, Killian and junior Kyle Rhoades each totaled two hits in the game while Shumway was 1-for-2 with three RBIs.

Garber's triple in the second of game two gave the Red Raiders a 2-0 lead before they added two more in the fifth when Scholly scored on a wild pitch and sophomore Ashton Taughinbaugh drove in Shumway with an RBI-single.

Taughinbaugh picked up his second RBI of the game in the seventh with an RBI-single that scored Scholly. Taughinbaugh finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBIs while Shumway was 1-for-2, extending his conference hitting streak to 11 games.

Shippensburg and Lock Haven (16-32, 5-13 PSAC West) will conclude their four-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader at Fairchild Field on Senior Day. First pitch is at 1:00 p.m. In between games, the Red Raiders will honor its four seniors in Garber, Dezell, Brandon Geib and Kyle Warner.