The Shippensburg University baseball team got a one-hit shutout in Game 2 from Kiernan Higgins and a pinch-hit, go-ahead single in Game 1 from Justin Byler to key a Friday doubleheader sweep of host Lock Haven by scores of 6-5 and 10-0 on a sunny and extremely windy day at Watkins Field.
 
Shippensburg (5-7, 5-5 PSAC East) totaled 17 hits (nine for extra bases) and eight walks. Among the offensive stars of the day were Byler, Chase Zurawski and Jordan Yoder, all of whom had three hits in the doubleheader.
 
Higgins's performance on the mound in Game 2 was nearly one for the record books. He took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but a one-out single by Joey Lowen ended the bid. Higgins yielded the lone single and four walks in the complete-game shutout, striking out 10 in the win. It is his second straight double-digit strikeout performance.
 
Game 1: Shippensburg 6, Lock Haven 5
 
The Raiders built a 5-0 lead entering the bottom of the third inning behind some timely hitting from Zurawski. After tripling home Juju Cason in the top of the first, Zurawski came to bat with the bases loaded in the third and doubled home three runs. A Yoder sacrifice fly plated Zurawski to make it 5-0.
 
The Bald Eagles immediately responded with three runs in the bottom of the third, as Reagan Lawlor smacked a two-run home run and cleanup hitter Joe Shannon hit an RBI-single.
 
Lock Haven tied it in the sixth but left the bases loaded. After loading the bases with one out on a single and two hit batters, a fielder's choice at home resulted in the second out. However, a passed ball scored one run, and back-to-back walks (the second with the bases loaded) tied it at 5-5.
 
Noah Nabholz entered out of the bullpen and struck out Jake Mastill and strand the bases loaded.
 
A leadoff walk by Zurawski prefaced SU's go-ahead run. A sacrifice bunt and a strikeout had Zurawski on second base with two outs, and Byler entered as a pinch hitter. His single up the middle made it 6-5 SU, and Nabholz retired the side in order in the seventh with two strikeouts to get the win.
 
Andres Garcia had two hits and a run scored, while Cason was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs. They both stole a base as well; the Raiders finished with four stolen bases.
 
Kyle Lysy ended up with a no decision, allowing five runs (four earned) in 5.2 innings, walking two and striking out five.
 
Game 2: Shippensburg 10, Lock Haven 0
 
A two-out, two-run home run in the top of the first by Yoder kickstarted the Raider offense, which scored four runs in the third, two runs in the fourth and two runs in the fifth to establish a commanding lead.
 
The decisive third inning mostly transpired with two outs. One run scored on an error, two passed balls and a Cason sacrifice fly, but the Raiders managed to plate three more with two outs and no one on base. An RBI-single by Yoder, an RBI-double by Lake Lloyd and an RBI-triple by Byler made it 6-0 SU.
 
An RBI-triple by Cason and a sacrifice fly by Ben Werkheiser made it 8-0 after four innings. A two-run home run in the fifth by Justin Darden concluded the scoring.
 
Eight of SU's nine starters had at least one hit.
 
The final seven outs by Higgins were all recorded by strikeout. Higgins recorded 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and the sixth -- striking out the side in the sixth.
 
Up Next
 
Shippensburg hosts Lock Haven at noon Saturday at Fairchild Field.