Box Score

BUTLER, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team raced its way out to four runs in the first four innings of its PSAC tournament clash with No. 14 West Chester on a sunny Friday afternoon but could not hold on the victory, ultimately dropping a 5-4 decision to the Golden Rams in 10 innings from Pullman Park.

Shippensburg (32-20), which had its eight-game winning streak snapped on Friday, will have a re-match with West Chester on Saturday at 10 a.m. The winner of that game will advance to the PSAC championship game at 4 p.m. tomorrow versus either Kutztown or Mercyhurst.

SU scored three runs in the top of the third inning – the first coming on an RBI-single inside the left-field line off the bat of junior center fielder Cody Kulp and the others being the result of a two-run double by sophomore first baseman Pat Kregeloh. Both men continued their strong play in this tournament – as the duo has collected multiple hits in all three games to this point.

After a RBI-single by Mike Raimo in the bottom of the third, SU answered in the fourth inning with a bases-loaded walk by junior transfer Simon Beloff. The right fielder finished the game with four walks in five at-bats. However, SU left the bases loaded to end the inning. The Raiders stranded 12 runners in the game, while the Golden Rams left 10 men on base.

West Chester (36-10) was able to get back in the game as a result of a dynamic performance by freshman relief pitcher Matt McCallister. The rookie improved to 5-0 after throwing 6.2 shutout innings of relief, scattering just three walks and four hits while striking out 11 Raiders and needing just 95 pitches to do so.

The difference came in the seventh inning, when a two-out rally began with a single off the bat of the No. 9 batter, catcher Reid Pulford. Junior pitcher Josh Scott had retired 10 consecutive hitters in relief for the Raiders before Pulford's single – which was followed up by another single from Raimo. A controversial hit by pitch then loaded the bases.

Needing two runs to tie the score, PSAC Eastern Division Player of the Year Joe Wendle came to the plate for the Golden Rams took one strike before sending a single up the middle to tie the score. Sophomore Austin Bartley entered the game to end the WCU threat by inducing a fly out to right field.

SU produced back-to-back singles in the ninth inning with two outs but McCallister fanned sophomore Kyle Hollingsworth to end the inning. WCU won the game in the 10th off sophomore relief pitcher Shawn Patterson by getting a leadoff single from Chris Pula – who scored three batters later on a single off the right-field wall by Matt Baer.

The Raiders totaled 10 or more hits for the third straight game in the tournament.  Junior Tyler Shover was 3-for-5 with a double. Junior Tom Bush started but finished with a no decision, allowing two runs on five hits in 3.1 innings of work.