SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team scored 12 runs in its first three at-bats on Tuesday, using its early momentum to outlast visiting Seton Hill by a 13-9 margin in a nine-inning game on a sunny and cool afternoon at Fairchild Field.
 
Shippensburg (11-10) scored three in the first, four in the second and five in the third to lead 12-1 after three innings. SU led 13-2 through five innings and staved off a late comeback from Seton Hill (10-11) in which the Griffins scored two in the sixth, four in the eighth and one in the ninth against the Raider bullpen.
 
Senior Cole Backenstose had an excellent outing on the mound in achieving his first win as a Raider. Backenstose threw five innings, allowing two runs on just three hits with four strikeouts. He yielded runs on an infield single and a sac fly, walking two in an efficient 75-pitch performance.
 
The Raiders used five pitchers Tuesday, capped off by freshman Jared Showalter. Entering after the first two batters reached in the ninth inning, Showalter retired all three men he faced – including the first two via strikeout.
 
Sophomore Scout Knotts and freshman Anthony Vavaroutsos each had three hits to pace a 14-hit Raider attach. Knotts reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored. The round tripper was his third of the season.
 
Vavaroutsos hit a two-run single just four batters into the game to open the early floodgates. He finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, four RBIs and a run scored. He was also hit by a pitch – the two teams combined for seven on the day. For the season, Vavaroutsos has posted a .493 on-base percentage (OBP) through his first 20 games.
 
Sophomore Logan Williamson continued his hot hitting by going 2-for-3 with an RBI double, two walks and a stolen base. Senior Tommy Baggett and junior Jacob Pollock each had two hits, while senior Jack Goertzen opened with a first-inning double and finished the day with three walks.
 
UP NEXT: Friday, 1 p.m. at Millersville (DH).