The Shippensburg University baseball team dropped a pair of games Saturday at No. 7 UNC Pembroke, falling 6-5 in a 12-inning game to start the afternoon, before dropping Game 2, 8-5, at Sammy Cox Field in Pembroke, N.C.
 
Shippensburg (2-5) collected 24 hits on the afternoon, but left 18 runners on base between the two games. UNC Pembroke (13-2) left 20 runners on base.
 
Senior Jimmy Spanos had three hits in each game, while senior Cody Ezolt had two hits (including a home run) and four RBIs on the day.  
 
Sophomore Jake Kennedy had four hits, two steals and an RBI; junior Austin Allison also had four hits.
 
Shippensburg will conclude the three-game series at noon Sunday against the Braves.
 
Game 1: UNC Pembroke 6, Shippensburg 5
 
UNC Pembroke jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning, but the Raiders responded scoring one run in the top of the second.
 
Kennedy scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore Ryan Hill.
 
SU took the lead in the fifth inning. Spanos singled home freshman Grant Hoover before Ezolt promptly homered to put the Raiders up, 4-3.
 
Shippensburg re-claimed the lead in the fifth, 5-4, when junior Mike Marcinko grounded out to shortstop to score Hoover.
 
The Braves tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning before winning in walk-off fashion in the 12th.
 
Junior Marcus Shippey entered the game in the sixth inning and was dominant throughout his outing. In 6.1 innings of relief, Shippey had nine strikeouts and gave up just two runs (one earned).  
 
Game 2: UNC Pembroke 8, Shippensburg 5
 
SU scored three runs in the third inning before an out was recorded to cut into a 6-0 deficit. Hoover singled and stole second before advancing to third on a failed pick-off attempt. Marcinko singled to right center, driving in Hoover.
 
Sophomore Ryan McMillen and Spanos hit back-to-back singles to load the bases for Ezolt, who worked a six-pitch walk.
 
Kennedy followed by singling to right field, scoring McMillen.
 
SU tacked on two runs in the ninth inning. Marcinko walked with one out and stole second during the next at-bat. Marcinko advanced to third on a Spanos single and later scored on a passed ball. Ezolt singled later in the inning, scoring Spanos.