The Shippensburg University baseball team came up short on Saturday in a pair of close Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchups at Mansfield, falling 3-1 and 10-9 in action at Shaute Field.
 
Shippensburg (14-14, 12-12 PSAC East) held leads in both games against Mansfield (10-18, 9-15), including three leads in the nightcap, but could not put away the Mounties. SU scored three runs in the seventh inning of Game 2 to take a 9-6 lead, but the hosts rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh, hitting a walk-off two-out, two-run double to sweep the Raiders.
 
The offensive star of the day was sophomore Justin Darden, who hit a two-run home run in each of his first three at-bats in Game 2. Darden became the first Raider to hit three home runs in a game since Jake Kennedy (March 22, 2017 vs. Chestnut Hill). He finished the doubleheader with four hits, including a Game 1 double.  
 
Graduate JuJu Cason began the doubleheader with a leadoff double and scored two batters later on a groundout, but that was SU's only run of the opener. Freshman Kaleb Sophy threw 67 pitches and logged a complete game, striking out five. MU's Hunter DePrimo threw a 65-pitch complete game, scattering seven hits without a walk and striking out five. Game 1 was over and done with in 90 minutes.
 
Game 2 featured 12 combined runs over the final three innings. Ben Werkheiser had two hits and three runs scored. Tony Vavaroutsos and Joe Barbera hit doubles.
 
Shippensburg returns to action at noon Thursday for a Senior Day doubleheader against West Chester at Fairchild Field. The Raiders will honor Kyle Lysy, Kiernan Higgins, Chase Zurawski, Chris Horst and Matt Ryan in a ceremony.