SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team scored five runs in the fourth inning Wednesday but was unable to keep pace with Wilmington (Del.), dropping a non-conference game, 13-7, on cold and sunny day from Fairchild Field.
 
Shippensburg (4-12) kept itself in the game with its fourth-inning rally after Wilmington (7-6) raced out to 11 runs in the first three innings.
 
Sophomore Jake Kennedy opened the scoring for the Raiders in the second inning by swatting his seventh home run of the season off Wildcat pitcher Frank Samluk.
 
Entering Wednesday, Samluk had not allowed an earned run through three appearances and 13 innings. He had given up just five hits and walked two while striking out 20 batters. On Wednesday he allowed five earned runs in five innings to the Raiders while walking four and striking out five.
 
In the fourth inning, senior Cody Ezolt doubled to deep left center to score Kennedy before a sacrifice fly from sophomore Ryan McMillen drove in freshman Dalton Hoiles.
 
Next, Ezolt scored on a groundout from sophomore Ryan Hill before junior Austin Allison tripled to deep center field, scoring junior Mike Marcinko and redshirt-freshman Tyler Betz.
 
The teams combined to score 17 runs after the first four innings, however added just three over the final five innings.
 
Hoiles finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two walks. Kennedy went 1-for-4 with two runs, one RBI and one walk.
 
Sophomore Josh Kutchey allowed one run in 2.2 innings of relief and junior Thomas Swartz surrendered one run in 1.1 innings out of the pen.
 
Shippensburg will host PSAC East doubleheaders with Mansfield on Saturday and Sunday, with both starting at 1 p.m. from Fairchild Field.