SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team secured its first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division series victory of the season Saturday by splitting a doubleheader with Kutztown at Fairchild Field to win three of four games this weekend over the Golden Bears.
 
Shippensburg (19-22, 9-11 PSAC East) won the first game 5-4 in eight innings behind freshman Cash Gladfelter's RBI double to right-center field that scored pinch runner, freshman Zack Zoller from first base. Kutztown came back with a 10-5 win in Game 2.
 
Facing its last chance in the bottom of the seventh inning in Game 1, Shippensburg started the frame with a walk by senior Mike Marcinko. He was then sacrificed to second base by sophomore Grant Hoover. After a popout, sophomore Nick Spangler walked to set the stage for junior Ryan McMillen.
 
The Raiders' third baseman smoked a single through the left side to score Marcinko from second base to tie the game. SU's other three runs in Game 1 came in the fifth inning – an inning that SU entered without a hit against Kutztown starting pitcher, Matt Swarmer.
 
In the fifth, junior Jake Kennedy hit an RBI double down the left field line, which was followed later in the inning by RBI singles from Marcinko and sophomore Dalton Hoiles.
 
Kennedy walked with one out in the eighth inning before he was pinch ran for by Zoller, who scampered home on Gladfelter's drive into the gap.
 
Meanwhile, senior Kyle McClintock provided another solid start for the Raiders by going six innings and allowing four runs. Senior Marcus Shippey picked up his fourth win of the season as he threw two scoreless innings of relief.
 
SU took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning in Game 2 as Hoiles hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning and freshman Tommy Baggett pitched in an RBI groundout an inning later.
 
However, KU scored runs in the next four innings to eventually take a lead as large as 10-3. The Raiders scored two runs in the seventh inning on a Gladfelter solo bomb to center field and on a wild pitch that allowed Spangler to score for the Raiders' fifth run of the game.
 
Gladfelter reached base seven times on the weekend, including his double and homer Saturday. Spangler led SU with six hits in the series and is now hitting .474 in his last 10 games with 18 hits.
 
Hoover and senior Seth LeFever each pitched a scoreless inning in Game 2.
 
In the four games this weekend, Marcinko had five hits, five runs scored and five stolen bases. The Raiders' shortstop now leads the PSAC in steals with 26 in 29 attempts this season.

SU now holds a one-game edge on Kutztown and a two-game cushion on Bloomsburg for the fourth and final playoff spot in the PSAC East.  There are eight divisional games remaining as SU plays PSAC East leader Millersville four times next weekend and has four games with Bloomsburg to finish the regular season.
 
The Raiders are back in action Tuesday when they travel to the U. of the Sciences for a nine-inning game, beginning at 3 p.m.