Box Scores:
IUP 12, SHIP 11
SHIP 18, IUP 5

INDIANA, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team slugged the cover off the ball for the second straight day on Wednesday afternoon from Owen Dougherty Field but only managed a split of its PSAC crossover doubleheader with Indiana (Pa.), dropping the opener 12-11 before rallying in Game 2 with an 18-5 rout. Both games lasted more than 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Shippensburg (11-24) finished its second doubleheader in two days by totaling 45 runs and 46 hits over the course of the four-game stretch but only mustered two victories. The loss in Wednesday's opener was SU's ninth this season by just one run.

Late rallies were the story of the opener as the two teams exchanged leads in each of the final three innings. A strong wind blowing out didn't help matters for the pitchers that braved the hill as only two halves of innings were completed in 1-2-3 fashion. A combined total of 23 runs and 28 hits and littered the scoreboard.

Shippensburg trailed 7-3 after the first three innings but tied the score in the fourth inning with a three-run homer by sophomore Jimmy Miller and an RBI-double by senior third baseman Kevin Scholly. The Crimson Hawks re-gained the lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth, but an RBI-single from Miller and a fielding error put SU up 9-8.

IUP (15-18) took a 10-9 in the bottom of the sixth off freshman reliever David McKolosky. Four straight batters reached to start the inning and helped the Crimson Hawks tie the score at 9-9 before the McKolosky induced two straight grounders that led to outs at the plate. With two outs, an infield hit put IUP ahead entering the final inning.

The first batter of the seventh, sophomore shortstop Ben Miller launched a home run to left field that tied the score at 10-10. Keeping up the pressure, sophomore right fielder Cody Kulp singled through the left side and later advanced to third base after a failed pickoff attempt. Jimmy Miller hit a sacrifice fly in the next at-bat to put Shippensburg ahead, 11-10.

McKolosky got the first two outs of the seventh inning before yielding a single up the middle and uncorking a wild pitch that placed the runner on second base. Kulp was then moved from right field to the mound in pursuit of the final out, but a single promptly tied the score and a double to center field in the next at-bat ended the game.

Jimmy Miller hit a two-run double and eventually swiped home on a double steal in the opening inning of the second game and the Red Raider rout was on in the nightcap. An RBI-double by Ben Miller and an unearned run put SU up 5-0 in the second before a two-run single in the third inning by junior catcher Kris Kullman extended the lead to seven runs.

Senior Kyle Chronister picked up his first victory as a Red Raider pitcher with six solid innings of work. His only bad inning was the third, when the Crimson Hawks hit three home runs to get within three runs of the lead. Chronister finished the game by allowing four hits, four walks and four runs while striking out eight batters in the contest.

Sophomore left fielder Tyler Uphouse delivered an RBI-single in the fourth inning to build an 8-4 lead before SU opened up the proverbial can of worms with an eight-run outburst in the sixth inning that featured seven runs crossing the plate with two outs on the board. Jimmy Miller, Scholly and Kullman had RBI-singles in the inning while junior center fielder AJ Czap and Kulp delivered RBI-doubles.

Freshman second baseman Zack Piper was the only Red Raider with three hits in the second game and plated SU's final two runs with a triple to right-center field. Piper had three RBIs and two runs in the second game while eight of the nine batters in the lineup had at least one hit. The only one without a hit was junior Jesse Smith, who drew three walks and scored twice.

Overall, Jimmy Miller finished the afternoon 4-for-9 at the plate with two extra base hits, two stolen bases, nine RBIs and four runs scored. Ben Miller was 4-for-9 as well with nine total bases and seven runs scored.

The Red Raiders will return to PSAC Eastern Division play on Friday at 1 p.m. with a home doubleheader against East Stroudsburg from Fairchild Field.