SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader against Bloomsburg on a sunny and windy Saturday afternoon from Fairchild Field.
 
Shippensburg (10-11, 1-4 PSAC) fell in Game 1 to Bloomsburg (13-5, 5-1), 5-4, but rallied late in Game 2 to take the series finale by the score of 5-1.
 
Senior southpaw Grant Hoover dominated the Huskies in Game 2, throwing 6.1 innings, surrendering just five hits while striking out six. At the plate, Hoover went 3-for-5 in the doubleheader and also walked twice.
 
Juniors Drew Bene and Cash Gladfelter each recorded multi-hit days for the Raiders. Bene finished the day 4-for-7 with a home run, a double and three RBIs. Gladfelter was 2-for-5 with a double, two steals, a walk and two runs scored.
 
Senior Nick Spangler and freshman Scout Knotts both recorded two hits on the day.
 
Shippensburg will return to action Tuesday when it will go on the road and take on Millersville in a PSAC East doubleheader from Cooper Park. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
 
Game 1
 
Freshman Dalton Oates got the start on the bump for SU and exchanged zeroes with Bloomsburg's J.J. Spehrley through the first two innings. The Huskies took the lead in the top of the third on a solo home run from Cole Swiger.
 
SU responded in the home half of the third with a pair of RBI singles from Bene and Gladfelter. The Huskies would retake the lead however in the top of the fourth, scoring four runs on two hits in the frame.
 
The Raiders would pull to within a run in their final at-bat after Bene delivered a no-doubt home run over the left-field wall to make it 5-4, but Bloomsburg then retired the next three SU hitters to secure the win.
 
Bene was the sole Raider to have a multi-hit game, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
 
Game 2
 
Hoover set the tone for SU on the mound, dominating the Huskies for 6.1 innings. The southpaw picked up his first win of the season while fanning six Huskies. Hoover finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate as well.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second, Knotts notched a RBI infield-single to score Gladfelter and tie the game. The game remained tied until the Raiders came to bat in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Spangler led the home half of the sixth off with a line-drive single to left. After Bloomsburg retired the next SU batter, Bene doubled to right center field forcing the Huskies to go to the bullpen.
 
Bloomsburg then intentionally walked Gladfelter to load the bases to face junior Tommy Baggett. Baggett drew a bases-loaded walk to break the tie and Knotts followed him with a double down the left-field line, scoring Bene and Gladfelter.
 
SU added one more run on a sacrifice fly by freshman Logan Williamson and junior closer Michael Hope relieved Hoover to record the final two outs and give SU the victory.