SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team split its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division opener against Bloomsburg on a warm and windy Friday from Fairchild Field. The Raiders dropped the opener, 8-3, but salvaged a split with a 5-1 victory in Game 2.
 
Shippensburg (5-10-1, 1-1 PSAC) pounded out 10 hits in both games against Bloomsburg (11-8, 1-1), with six Raiders recording multi-hit afternoons. Senior first baseman Jake Kennedy collected four hits on the day, including his ninth home run of the season. Kennedy's homer came in Game 1, marking the third consecutive game the senior went yard.
 
Junior center fielder Dalton Hoiles also had a four-hit day, including a 3-for-4 effort in Game 2. Hoiles drove in two runs for the Raiders in the their Game 2 win. Senior third baseman Ryan McMillen also went 3-for-4 in Game 2 and scored two runs.
 
Junior Grant Hoover had three hits with one RBI and three runs scored on the day. Sophomores Jack Goertzen and Cash Gladfelter both went 2-for-3 in Game 1.
 
SU used four pitchers in the doubleheader, including redshirt-freshman Zack Sims, sophomore Tyler Butcher, senior Mark Curtis and sophomore Michael Hope.
 
Shippensburg will complete its weekend series against Bloomsburg tomorrow at 1 p.m. from Fairchild Field. Bloomsburg will serve as the home teams in both games tomorrow afternoon.
 
Game One
 
Shippensburg fell behind early in the opener after the Huskies scored five runs in the top of the first, four of which came on a grand slam from Ryan Shiffer.
 
SU got on the board in the third inning when Hoover singled up the middle to score McMillen. Kennedy added another Raider run in the fourth with a solo shot over the left-field fence.
 
Bloomsburg added two runs in the fifth and one in the seventh to take an 8-2 lead heading into the final half inning. SU would add one more run on a two-out rally in the seventh, as Kennedy hit an RBI double that scored Hoover. SU eventually fell to the Huskies, 8-3.
 
Sims started for the Raiders, going 4.1 innings while striking out five. Butcher relieved Sims in the fifth, finishing the final 2.2 innings and giving up just one run while striking out two.
 
Game Two
 
Shippensburg took Game 2 behind a strong effort from Curtis, who went six innings and surrendered just one earned run and three hits while striking out seven. The outing marked Curtis's longest of the season, as he did not allow a hit until two outs were recorded in the fifth inning.  
 
SU got off to a quick start at the plate, scoring two runs in the top of the first. McMillen singled to right to start the inning and would reach third base in the next at-bat as an error on a Hoover sacrifice bunt put runners on the corners with nobody out.
 
Hoover then stole second to put two runners in scoring position for Hoiles, who drove in McMillen on a RBI groundout to put SU ahead 1-0. Hoover, who reached third on the groundout, would then score on a wild pitch to add to the Raider lead.  
 
After Curtis retired the Huskies in order in the top of second, SU added its third run in the home half on a McMillen single to right that the right fielder bobbled, allowing sophomore Tommy Baggett to score.
Bloomsburg got one run back in the fifth, however, the Raiders responded in the home half of the inning with two runs of their own to extend their lead to 5-1. Hoiles drove in his second run of the game with a single to left, scoring McMillen. Sophomore Drew Bene drove in the final Raider run on a sacrifice fly to center that scored Hoover.
 
Hope entered the game in the seventh, retiring the Huskies in order while recording one strikeout to secure the 5-1 victory.