EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team earned two huge divisional wins on Friday afternoon at Mitterling Field, defeating East Stroudsburg – the No. 2 team in the NCAA Atlantic Regional rankings – by scores of 2-1 and 5-2.

SU moved into second place in the PSAC Eastern Division and dropped East Stroudsburg temporarily into fourth place after Kutztown swept West Chester on Friday.

Shippensburg (18-22, 10-8 PSAC East) scratched two unearned runs across the plate in the opener against one of the best pitchers in the nation – ESU's Jeremy Gigliotti leads Division II in ERA and has allowed just two earned runs and 22 hits in 47 innings this season with 58 strikeouts. SU jumped on Warrior starter Andy Noga in Game 2 – scoring three runs in the second inning and two more in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead.

Pitching proved to be the difference – and Shippensburg's mound men were splendid on Friday. Junior Nick Umberger allowed just one hit through the first five innings of the opener and finished with a five-hitter, striking out eight men to win his fourth game of the season. Freshman Shawn Patterson scattered nine hits in six innings and ultimately earned his third victory of the year by maneuvering out of separate bases-loaded, no-out jams in his last two frames.

Junior Kody Kibler picked up his fifth save of the season and preserved Patterson's win with a scoreless seventh inning – he moved into a tie for the conference lead in saves with Slippery Rock's Ryan Oglesby and Millersville's Zack Eckley.

In the opener, SU broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning with some aggressive baserunning. An infield single by junior Eric Herman, a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Sam Phillips and an intentional walk to junior Ben Miller put runners on first and second with one out.

During the next at-bat, SU completed a double steal and moved up an extra station due to a throwing error by the catcher – Herman crossed home plate for the game's first run and Miller moved to third. Freshman Pat Kregeloh then reached on an error by the shortstop and Miller came home to put SU up 2-0.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, ESU smacked three straight singles to get within a run before Umberger struck out Tom Spilatore to end the inning. Umberger retired the side in order in the seventh and fanned three of the final four batters he faced.

In the second game, Kregeloh led off the second inning with a homer to kickstart a three-run frame. Senior AJ Czap followed with a double and senior Jesse Smith tripled him home in the next at-bat. Two batters later, a fielding error brought Smith home.

Senior Kris Kullman doubled to lead off the fourth – it was the 100th hit of his Raider career. Junior Tyler Uphouse followed with a single to put SU up 4-0. Uphouse stole second; moved to third on a flyout, and eventually scored on an infield single by Ben Miller.

Patterson scattered four hits through the first four innings but loaded the bases in the fifth and the sixth. In the face of adversity and rampant emotions between the two teams, the freshman hunkered down both times and induced double-play grounders – his second and third of the game – to ultimately escape each threat with just one run crossing the plate.

Overall, Kullman led SU players with three hits between the two games – Kullman, Smith and Ben Miller were the only Raiders with at least one hit in both games. Kregeloh and Uphouse each had two hits in the second game. All seven runs scored by Shippensburg in the doubleheader were from a unique baserunner – the only two Raider starters to not cross home plate on Friday were Phillips and sophomore Steve Sulcoski.

Shippensburg is scheduled to host East Stroudsburg at 1 p.m. Saturday in a doubleheader from Fairchild Field. Before the game, the Raiders will honor their three seniors: Czap, Kullman and Smith.