SALISBURY, N.C. — The Shippensburg University baseball team took the final game of a three-game set against Catawba on Sunday, claiming a 6-4 victory behind a quality start from redshirt-sophomore Zack Sims on a beautiful day from Newman Park.
 
Shippensburg (1-2) trailed Catawba (3-9), 2-0 after three innings of play, but tallied five runs in the top of the fourth and added an insurance run in the eighth to seal the win.
 
Sims was outstanding in his first start of the season, throwing six innings, scattering six hits and giving up just two runs while striking out six. He allowed just one extra-base hit on the day in earning the victory.
 
The Raider offense was led by senior Dalton Hoiles, junior Drew Bene and sophomore Jacob Pollock. All three starters recorded multi-hit days at the plate for SU.
 
Hoiles finished the day with three hits, including a bunt single that started the five-run fourth for SU. Hoiles's three hits were a game high. Bene finished the day 2-for-5, with a run scored while Pollock finished the day 2-for-4 with a two-run double.
 
After Hoiles led the top of the fourth off with his bunt single, Bene followed with a single to right that was misplayed by Catawba, allowing Hoiles to advance to third and Bene to advance to second with no outs. Catawba then got the first out, but junior Ty Painter then walked to load the bases.
 
Junior Tommy Baggett was then hit by a pitch, forcing in a run and cutting the Catawba lead in half. Pollock followed with a double down the right field line to give SU a 3-2 lead. Senior Grant Hoover followed with a single to right to cap the five-run inning for SU.
 
Redshirt-freshman Noah Inch relieved Sims in the seventh and finished with 2.2 innings pitched, surrendering just one run on four hits. Junior Michael Hope came on with two outs in the ninth to record a one-out save, his first of the season.
 
SU finished with nine hits on the day with seven of the nine Raiders reaching base safely at least one time.
 
Shippensburg will return to action Friday at 1 p.m. when it takes on Slippery Rock in Holly Springs, North Carolina.