Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team split a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader with IUP from Fairchild Field, using solid pitching and timely hitting to win the opener 3-1 before dropping a lengthy 13-11 nightcap to the Crimson Hawks.

Shippensburg (14-11) got a strong start in Game 1 from sophomore Shawn Patterson, who won his second game of the season by allowing just one run on five hits in five innings of work.  Sophomore Austin Bartley recorded four outs in relief to bridge the gap to redshirt senior Kody Kibler, who closed the game out for his second save of the season.

IUP (9-12-1), playing its third doubleheader in four days, used three big innings to take control of Game 2. Leading 3-2 entering the third, the Crimson Hawks scored seven runs with two outs – the final three on a bases-clearing double by cleanup hitter Dylan Songer. Indiana also drew four walks in the inning.

The Raiders will resume PSAC Eastern Division play at 1 p.m. Friday from Fairchild Field with a doubleheader against Millersville.

Game 1: Shippensburg 3, IUP 1

Shippensburg scored the game's first run in the third inning on a two-out RBI-single by freshman second baseman Jimmy Spanos. Junior third baseman Tyler Basso scored the run after reaching on a dropped fly ball to start the inning.

Junior left fielder Simon Beloff launched a home run over the right-field fence on the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth inning to put the Raiders up by two. SU added another run in the inning after junior catcher Tyler Shover singled, stole second base and scored on a seeing-eye hit up the middle off the bat of Basso.

The first batter of the seventh inning reached second base for IUP on a ball that was hit into no-man's land down the first-base line. Several fielders converged, but as Spanos appeared to settle under the ball, it fell off his glove and into fair territory. Bartley induced a groundout and then issued a walk before Kibler entered the game. Kibler got Aaron Lupia to hit a lazy fly to left and then froze Troy Foster to end the game.

Game 2: IUP 13, Shippensburg 11

SU took a 2-0 lead after one inning off an RBI-single from Beloff and a sacrifice fly by Shover. IUP countered with three runs in the second and seven in the third against SU pitchers Josh Scott, Nick Massetti and Ted Williams.

Despite being down eight runs through just two-and-a-half innings, SU kept attacking. After falling victim to four walks in the top of the third inning, the Raiders squeezed out three straight walks to start the bottom of the third. An RBI-single by Beloff and a two-run single by Shover brought the Raiders closer, and an RBI-groundout by Basso made it 10-6 through three innings.

IUP scored three unearned runs in the top of the fourth before SU again loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the frame – as two hit batsmen sandwiched a double by senior Eric Herman. Sophomore Kyle Hollingsworth delivered a sacrifice fly and junior Cody Kulp hit an RBI-double before Shover and sophomore Pat Kregeloh contributed RBI-singles to make the score 13-10 through four innings.

SU got one more run in the fifth on an RBI-single by Kulp – who reached base all four times he came to the plate in Game 2. Shover had four RBIs in the second game and finished with five for the day. 

Bartley had a splendid day in relief, pitching the final three innings without allowing a hit. He finished the doubleheader with 4.1 shutout innings of work and two strikeouts.

Naturally, after the teams combined for 24 runs and 22 hits in the first five innings of the game, only one batter reached base in the final two frames. Spanos singled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to bring the tying run to the plate, but IUP reliever Jared Weed canceled the threat with a groundout to first base.