SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team took early leads in both games Saturday but were unable to hold on in each as it dropped a doubleheader to West Chester, 6-4 and 9-5, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader on Vs. Cancer Day at a chilly Fairchild Field.
 
Shippensburg (8-12, 1-3 PSAC) dropped three of four games this weekend to the Rams in the first four games of PSAC East play.
 
The Raiders led 4-1 after two innings of play in Game 1 as sophomore Dalton Hoiles knocked in a run with a groundout in the first inning. Freshman Jack Goertzen gave SU the lead with an RBI in the second inning and senior Austin Allison followed later in the frame with a two-out, two-run single to center field.
 
However, West Chester (12-4, 3-1) scored a single run in the third and fourth innings before tallying three runs in the fifth to take the lead. Senior Kyle McClintock pitched 2.1 scoreless innings to keep the Raiders within striking distance, but Rams' reliever Mike O'Neill limited SU to one hit in three scoreless innings to pick up his sixth save of the season.
 
In Game 2, senior Mike Marcinko started things off with a bang as he led off the bottom of the first inning with his team-high fifth home run of the season. The Raiders took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when sophomore Nick Spangler scored on a wild pitch.
 
A five-run third inning by West Chester put SU behind by three runs, but the Raiders scored a run in the bottom of the third on an RBI single off the bat of junior Ryan McMillen and a run in the fifth when freshman Cash Gladfelter doubled home Allison to make it a 5-4 West Chester lead.
 
Again, the Rams had an answer with a pair of solo home runs in the sixth inning and two more runs in the seventh to pull away.
 
SU's Game 1 starter, senior Rich Michaud, allowed two runs in 3.2 innings while striking out five. Freshman Zack Sims started Game 2, allowing two earned runs in 2.2 innings.
 
Baggett capped off a seven-hit weekend by going 3-for-5 with a double in the two games Saturday. Spangler reached base four times in two games with a double and two runs scored. Spangler had three doubles and four runs scored in the series with the Rams.
 
Allison, Hoiles, McMillen and sophomore Grant Hoover all had five hits in the four games.
 
As part of Vs. Cancer Day for SU baseball, 10-year-old Colby Bubb, who suffers from muscular cancer, and his Keystone Nationals teammates spent much of warmups with the Raiders. Bubb, a native of Boiling Springs, threw out the first pitch prior to Game 1.
 
For more on the Vs. Cancer foundation and links to donate to Colby and SHIP Vs. Cancer , click HERE.
 
The Raiders are back in action Tuesday when they travel to Seton Hill for a single game beginning at 3 p.m.