Box Score

BELMONT, N.C. - The No. 23 Shippensburg University baseball team mounted a furious late-inning comeback in the final game of its season-opening, three-game series with Belmont-Abbey on Sunday afternoon by scoring 10 runs over the final three innings, but the Raiders came up just short in a 12-10 loss to the Crusaders.

Shippensburg (1-2) allowed runs in each of the first five innings on Sunday and trailed 12-0 to the Crusaders but scored five runs in the seventh inning and five runs in the ninth inning before getting the tying run to the plate in the form of freshman Jimmy Miller.

The Raider ninth-inning rally began with two outs and freshman Zach Seaman standing on third base. Senior center fielder Tyler Redick singled home Seaman, junior Rick Shumway followed with a walk, and freshman right fielder Cody Kulp singled home Redick to force a Crusader pitching change.

Belmont-Abbey (3-3) brought in John Merritt from the bullpen, but sophomore Steve McCardell countered with a double that plated Shumway and moved Kulp to second base. With the score now 12-8, junior Kyle Chronister entered as a pinch hitter and reached on an error by the shortstop, scoring both runners.

Following almost the same script as Saturday's season opener, freshman Eric Broney entered the game to pinch run for Chronister at first base. Unfortunately for the Raiders, Miller struck out to end the comeback bid for Shippensburg, who finished the weekend with 18 runs in the three-game series.

The grand comeback bid started in the seventh inning, where the Raiders plated five runs despite recording just one hit. McCardell led off the inning by reaching on an error, sophomore Nole Saylor walked, and Miller then walked to load the bases. Seaman drew a bases-loaded walk to score McCardell, and senior catcher Sean Killian stepped up and smacked a grand slam that gave Shippensburg five runs in the inning before recording an out.

Killian finished the game 3-for-4 with the grand slam, while McCardell had two hits and two runs in three plate appearances off the bench. Kulp had two hits and one run while finishing the weekend batting .500 with five hits in 10 at-bats.  

Senior pitcher Andrew Burke struggled for Shippensburg in his first start of the season, allowing seven runs in 3.1 innings. Freshman Ryan Rehman, sophomore Kody Kibler and Miller combined to keep the Crusaders off the board over the final three innings.

Shippensburg will return to action next weekend with a four-game series at Augusta State. The Raiders will have doubleheader on Saturday and Sunday that begin at noon.