Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Senior Ben Miller and juniors Cody Kulp and Simon Beloff each hit home runs on Wednesday afternoon as the Shippensburg University baseball team beat Wilmington (Del.), 8-6, in a solo game from Fairchild Field.

Despite getting out-hit 15-9, the Raiders (26-19) kept damage from the Wilmington (26-15) offense at a minimum with solid defensive play in the field. In the first three innings, SU earned five different outs on the base paths, including back-to-back Wildcats caught stealing on throws from junior catcher Steve Sulcoski in the second inning.

Sophomore Shawn Patterson earned his third victory of the season after pitching the first five innings and giving up three runs while striking out two. Junior Josh Scott pitched two innings of relief before junior Tom Bush struck out two while pitching the eighth.

Redshirt senior Kody Kibler then earned the final three outs to earn his second consecutive save and seventh of the season, which ties the single-season school record that he already shares (he had seven saves last season) with two other former players.

Ben Miller's and Beloff's home runs each were two-run shots. Senior Jimmy Miller went 3-for-4 with a two-run double while Sulcoski went 2-for-4. Kulp and junior Tyler Basso each scored twice.

The game was the first in which three different Shippensburg players have hit home runs since Feb. 28, 2009. In that game, Kulp, Sean Killian and Tyler Redick each homered.

The Wildcats scored two runs on four hits to kick off the game. With one out and runners on second and third, Ben Miller fielded a grounder and threw home to Sulcoski for the first out before the catcher threw back to Basso at third base to nab the second runner and finish off the inning-ending double play.

Sulcoski then earned the last two outs in the next inning as well, nabbing a WU base runner stealing third and another stealing second in the next at-bat.

Kulp cut SU's deficit in half in the bottom of the first with his solo shot to left-center field for his fourth home run of the season. The Raiders then took the lead with a strong showing in the second inning. In the third at-bat, Jimmy Miller stroked a ball to left for his two-run double that scored Sulcoski and Basso. Ben Miller then hit his third home run of the season, this one a two-run shot to left field that brought home Jimmy Miller and gave the Raiders a 5-2 lead.

Patterson allowed a lead-off single in the top of the third, but the batter tried to stretch the hit into a double and was gunned down at second on a center field throw from Kulp to Ben Miller, who laid down the tag.

Wilmington scored a run in the fourth inning on an RBI double to right center and added another run in the seventh with a solo home run to left field to cut Shippensburg's lead to 5-4. The Raiders earned some valuable insurance runs in the bottom half of the seventh, however, with Beloff's two-run home run that scored Kulp and pushed the SU lead back to three runs.

The Wildcats scored a run in each of the final two innings, but SU countered with its own run in the eighth. Basso bunt singled to lead off the inning and Ben Miller and senior Eric Herman later walked to load the bases. Freshman Jimmy Spanos then reached on a fielder's choice that scored Basso.

Shippensburg will close out its home regular season schedule on Friday afternoon in a doubleheader against East Stroudsburg beginning at 1 p.m. Heading into the final conference weekend of the season, the Raiders are tied for second place in the PSAC East – with an 11-9 division record – with Bloomsburg and Kutztown.