SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team honored its seniors on Friday before its final games of the 2021 season, a home doubleheader against Bloomsburg. SU won the opener, 9-8, but dropped Game 2 by a 6-3 score in action at Fairchild Field.
 
Shippensburg (17-19, 15-17 PSAC East) and Bloomsburg (18-14, 18-14) moved up the start of the doubleheader to 11 a.m. in an effort to get the games in before the arrival of forecasted inclement weather. After some early Game 1 showers, the skies remained mostly clear until ominous clouds rolled in late in Game 2.
 
SU had gotten the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning when the sky unleashed a torrent of rain. The squalls and a subsequent lightning delay forced the game to be called at that juncture, which reverted it to the last completed inning, making Game 2 officially a five-inning contest.
 
Before the doubleheader started, the pregame ceremony honored featured recognition for Kiernan Higgins, Chris Horst, Kyle Lysy, Matt Ryan and Chase Zurawski. In his home finale, Zurawski had three hits – he reached four times in Game 1 (2-for-2 with two RBIs, two walks).
 
An interesting bottom of the fourth inning in Game 1 proved to be decisive for the Raiders. SU trailed 6-1 entering the bottom of the fourth but scored seven runs on two just hits and also left the bases loaded. After an RBI-single by Lake Lloyd, a two-run single by Jackson LoBianco and a run on a wild pitch, SU drew three consecutive bases-loaded walks with two outs to take the lead.
 
Kaleb Sophy got the Game 1 win, pitching into the seventh inning. Seven runs were credited against Sophy's ledger but he struck out eight. It's his fourth outing of the season with eight or more strikeouts.
 
After a two-run home run by the Huskies off Sophy in the top of the seventh, Noah Nabholz entered and got the final two outs to record his second save of the year.
 
The Game 2 loss eliminated the Raiders from playoff contention. SU finishes the season fifth in the PSAC Eastern Division.