Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Junior center fielder Michael Douglas contributed three RBIs on Sunday, including the decisive two-run single in the seventh inning, and junior southpaw Austin Bartley threw almost four innings of splendid relief as the No. 20 Shippensburg University baseball team came from behind to earn a 4-3 victory over No. 26 Slippery Rock from Fairchild Field.

Shippensburg (9-2) secured a series victory over Slippery Rock (8-2) with the win; the two teams entered the weekend as the top two teams in the Atlantic Region per the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) rankings. In the three-game series, both teams scored 12 runs.

Both teams got on the board in the second inning. Rock right fielder Brandon Myers launched a solo home run onto the hill in right-center field to open the scoring, but SU answered in the bottom half with RBI-singles from junior designated hitter Dan Wimer and Douglas. Wimer scored from first base on Douglas's single as a result of a splendidly executed hit-and-run on a 2-2 pitch.

Raider junior starter Shawn Patterson and Rock sophomore starter Kyle Schneider locked into a duel over the next several innings. Patterson worked out of a jam in the third inning with a full-count strikeout of Rock cleanup batter Kevin Jovanovich while Schneider left a man on third base in the fourth inning.

The Rock scored twice in the sixth inning to re-gain the lead. With one out, Myers lofted a ball into left-center field that was misplayed, allowing Jovanovich to score and Myers to take his place on third base. After another error resulted in runners on first and third base, Patterson was pulled in favor of Bartley.

The first batter Bartley faced was third baseman Jake Nogalo, who sent a 0-1 pitch into the hole at shortstop for a RBI-single. Bartley then induced a 4-6-3 double play to escape the jam. Patterson's final line featured three runs (two earned) in 5.1 innings of work along with three walks and three strikeouts.

In the decisive seventh inning, senior right fielder Cody Kulp led off with a double that chased Schneider. Anton Constantino entered in relief and yielded a single to Wimer that put runners on the corners with nobody out.

After a bunt by junior third baseman Cal Hogan moved Wimer into scoring position, Douglas smacked a 1-1 pitch over the glove of Nogalo and into left field that put the Raiders back on top.

The Rock had one last rally with two outs in the ninth, getting two runners on the basepaths after a bad-hop single and a fielding error, but Bartley induced a comebacker to end the game.

Bartley earned his first victory of the season with 3.2 shutout innings of relief, throwing 31 of his 40 pitches for strikes. Douglas, Wimer and senior catcher Tyler Shover all recorded multiple hits in the game, while Kulp reached base in all three of his plate appearances (two walks) and had a stolen base.

Shippensburg will continue its 10-game homestand next weekend with a four-game series versus LeMoyne. Saturday and Sunday doubleheaders begin each day at noon.