MANSFIELD, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team used late-inning heroics to sweep Mansfield Friday, 9-3 and 4-3 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) doubleheader on a beautiful day from Shaute Field.
 
Shippensburg (15-16-1, 8-6 PSAC) took Game 1 from Mansfield (16-18, 5-9) after scoring six runs in the top of ninth to seal the 9-3 victory. Sophomore Jack Goertzen homered in the top of seventh of Game 2 to break a 3-3 tie and give the Raiders a 4-3 victory.
 
Offensively, Shippensburg was led by senior Ryan McMillen and junior Nick Spangler as the duo combined to go 10-for-15 out of the leadoff and two-hole spots for SU. McMillen finished the day 5-for-7 with 3 RBIs and two runs scored while Spangler went 5-for-8 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
 
Sophomore Drew Bene finished the day 4-for-9 including a three-run home run in the ninth inning of Game 1 that broke the game open for SU. Goertzen finished 3-for-6 at the plate including the game-winning RBI on a no-doubt home run to right field in the seventh inning of Game 2.
 
Junior Gabe Mosser threw eight quality innings in Game 1 to collect his fourth consecutive victory in PSAC play. Freshman Jacob Menders started on the bump for the Raiders in Game 2, throwing six innings while collecting the win. Sophomore Michael Hope pitched out of the bullpen in both games and collected his third save of the season in Game 2.
 
Shippensburg will finish its four-game series with Mansfield tomorrow at 1 p.m. from Fairchild Field on SU baseball Alumni Day.
 
Game 1
 
Mansfield jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first with three runs on four hits. The three earned runs surrendered by Mosser were the first earned runs the junior has yielded in conference play. Mosser has now thrown 29 innings in PSAC play surrendering three earned runs with 35 strikeouts.
 
SU got a run back in the third when Spangler singled to right field scoring sophomore Tommy Baggett. Shippensburg tied the game in the fifth with a two-out rally started by freshman Jacob Pollock who doubled down the right field line to put a runner in scoring position for SU.
 
McMillen then followed Pollack's double with a double of his own that split the outfielders in right-center field to cut the Mountie lead to just one. Spangler tied the game at three with his third hit of the day through the right side driving in McMillen.
 
After the first inning, Mosser was sensational, shutting out Mansfield over the next seven innings, scattering four hits and collecting nine strikeouts to keep SU in the game and allow the offense to provide runs in the ninth to give him the win.
 
The Raiders scored six runs in the top of the ninth to break the game open. Sophomore Cash Gladfelter singled driving in two runs. After a walk by senior Jake Kennedy put two runners on, Bene cleared the bases with a home run over the left-field fence to all but clinch the Raider victory.
 
Hope entered to record the final three outs in the ninth and give SU the first game of the four-game set.
 
Game 2
 
SU got on the board first in the second inning on an RBI single from sophomore Ty Painter that scored Goertzen. The Raiders scored again in the third to extend their lead to 2-0 on a RBI single from Kennedy that scored Spangler.
 
Mansfield would get on the board with a Peter Pena home run in the fourth and would eventually take a 3-2 lead in the fifth on a two-run double from Brady Mengel. SU would responded quickly however, tying the game in the sixth on a McMillen infield single that scored Goertzen.
 
After Mansfield recorded the first two outs of the seventh, Goertzen stepped in the box with two outs and nobody on. Goertzen was able to work his way into a 3-1 count and delivered a long home run over the right-field fence to give the Raiders a 4-3 lead with three outs to get.
 
Hope entered for the seventh and shut down the Mounties while tallying one strikeout to record his third save of the year.