The Shippensburg University baseball team won its sixth and seventh games in a row Tuesday with a doubleheader sweep of IUP in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover matchup from Dougherty Field in Indiana, Pa. The Raiders won the first game, 6-0, before taking the second game, 7-1.
 
SU (19-16-1) extended its longest winning streak of the season behind outstanding starting pitching from redshirt-freshman Zack Sims and junior Andy Crum. The duo combined to allow just one run on seven hits in 13 innings of work, while sophomore Michael Hope added a scoreless frame in Game 1.
 
Offensively, junior Grant Hoover paced the Raiders as the left-handed hitting outfielder made just one out in eight plate appearances, including six hits and a solo home run. Junior Dalton Hoiles, who hit a grand slam to break open Game 1, and senior Jake Kennedy both went yard for the Raiders as well.
 
Sophomore Cash Gladfelter and senior Ryan McMillen continued to pace the top of the Raider order as each totaled two hits, a double and two RBI. SU outhit IUP 18-7 while also drawing 19 walks against IUP pitching. Raider pitchers issued just three free passes.
 
The Raiders will look to extend their winning streak when they travel Friday to take on East Stroudsburg in a PSAC East doubleheader. The games will begin at noon.
 
Game 1
 
The first five innings of the opener flew by as both starting pitchers – SU's Sims and IUP's Ben Hudock – posted dueling zeros. It was the Raiders that broke through first, however, as Hoover homered to right field with two outs in the sixth inning to put SU on top.
 
Hudock then hit a batter and walked the following hitter, but reliever Will Seymour kept it at a one-run game by getting the final out in the top of the sixth. Following another scoreless inning by Sims in the bottom of the sixth, SU quickly added insurance in the seventh inning.
 
Gladfelter singled, and following a strikeout, the Raiders drew back-to-back walks to load the bases with one out for Hoiles, who unloaded a grand slam to left field to push the Raider lead to 5-0. Hope, who had been warming for a potential save situation, relieved Sims after back-to-back walks to open the bottom of the seventh inning. Hope retired all three batters he faced.
 
Sims, who improved to 4-2 on the year, allowed just three hits and struck out six batters in his six innings work.
 
Game 2
 
The Raiders took much less time getting going in Game 2 as McMillen walked to leadoff the game and advanced to second and then third on a pair of wild pitches. Junior Nick Spangler also walked before Gladfelter drove in the game's first run with a sacrifice fly to right field.
 
Kennedy was then hit by a pitch, sophomore Drew Bene walked and with the bases loaded, sophomore Jack Goertzen hit another sac fly to make it, 2-0.
 
The Raiders added to their lead in the second inning with an RBI double by McMillen. Two batters later, Gladfelter added an RBI double of his own before Kennedy made it 5-0 with a sacrifice fly.
 
SU loaded in the bases in the third but did not score prior to Kennedy leading off the top of the fourth with his PSAC-leading 16th home run of the season. The Raiders scored their final run of the afternoon on an RBI single by Bene in the fifth inning.
 
Crum picked up his third win of the season as he struck out nine batters in his seven innings of work. The lefty allowed just four hits and an IUP run in the bottom of the seventh inning.