SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team got a Game 2 walk-off single from senior Tommy Baggett to salvage a doubleheader split with Kutztown, as the Raiders came from behind to win the nightcap 9-8 after dropping the opener 4-1 to the Golden Bears in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division play from Fairchild Field.
 
Shippensburg (8-10, 1-1 PSAC East) and Kutztown (2-10, 1-1) were the only conference teams who played Friday, as all other league schools opted to postpone their games. SU and KU did endure some interesting conditions in the doubleheader – balancing breaks of occasional sun with later stretches of rain, snow, and gusty winds – but the squads weathered the day successfully without any delays or issues.
 
The Raiders put forth a pair of comebacks in Game 2 to achieve the split. Trailing 6-0 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, SU put up seven runs to take a one-run lead into the final inning. After an RBI-single from junior Zack Zoller and a sacrifice fly from Baggett, Shippensburg had gotten to 6-2, but completed the rally with five runs scoring with two outs.
 
Senior Jack Goertzen and sophomore Logan Williamson continued the rally with back-to-back RBI-singles, making the score 6-4. Then, on a 2-1 pitch, freshman Justin Darden slugged a go-ahead three-run homer to make it 7-6 in favor of the Raiders.
 
Kutztown started the seventh with an infield single. After a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, Bo Rottet slammed a go-ahead two-run homer with two outs that restored the advantage to the Golden Bears, 8-7. In the bottom of the seventh, junior Jacob Pollock worked a 3-1 count and singled up the middle to start the SU rally. After a sacrifice bunt, Zoller doubled home Pollock, and Baggett then singled home Zoller to complete the comeback.
 
Senior Michael Hope got the Game 2 win after finishing the seventh inning. Sophomore Dalton Oates threw 3.1 innings in his start, striking out five, and junior Kyle Lysy finished the fourth with a strikeout. Senior Cole Backenstose struck out three in 2.1 strong innings of relief that kept the Raiders in the game.  
 
Senior Zack Sims threw six innings in the opener, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts. Freshman Jared Showalter pitched the seventh.
 
Notably in Game 2, the Raiders did not leave a runner on base save for Baggett in the seventh inning – stranded due to his walk-off single ending the game. KU left 10 men on base in the nightcap. SU left seven on base in the opener.
 
Overall, Darden reached base three times – collecting two hits and a walk. Baggett and Zoller each finished with two hits and two RBIs. Freshman Anthony Vavaroutsos also reached base three times – hitting a double in addition to drawing a walk and being hit by a pitch. Freshman Lake Lloyd had an RBI-single in Game 1.
 
Schedule Note: The back end of the doubleheader scheduled at Kutztown has been postponed from Saturday to Sunday at 1 p.m.