SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team played its first games on the new AstroTurf surface at Fairchild Field on Saturday and posted a pair of convincing victories, defeating No. 14 Goldey-Beacom by scores of 6-0 and 4-1 in seven-inning games on a chilly afternoon.
 
Shippensburg (2-9) received some timely hitting and also fantastic starting pitching performances from redshirt-junior Nick Zegna and sophomore Kaleb Sophy.
 
Redshirt-sophomore Justin Byler and sophomore Andrew Chronister each had three hits to lead the Raiders; graduate Matt Shilling had two extra-base hits and a walk.
 
Sophomore Jafari Williams and junior Justin Darden combined to drive in six of SU's 10 runs on the day.
 
The Raiders will be in Delaware tomorrow to conclude the four-game series with Goldey-Beacom. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at noon at Doyle Field in Hockessin, Del.
 
Game 1: Shippensburg 6, Goldey-Beacom 0
Zegna threw a two-hit shutout in the opener, striking out 11. He allowed just two singles, hit one batter, and did not walk anyone in a 90-pitch complete game.
 
Timely hitting helped get the Raiders on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. Back-to-back RBI-doubles with two outs by junior Lake Lloyd put Shippensburg up 2-0. Darden set the table with a one-out double to left.
 
SU plated four runs in the sixth to pull away. After a leadoff walk by Shilling, Darden launched a two-run moonshot over the left-field fence to make it 4-0. Williams plated two more with a two-out single to center field on a 3-2 pitch.
 
Zegna retired the first eight men he faced and had four 1-2-3 innings.
 
Game 2: Shippensburg 4, Goldey-Beacom 1
Sophy also struck out 11; he threw six innings and scattered one run on four hits, walking two and hitting two. Sophomore Ethan Miller pitched a scoreless seventh for his first collegiate save.
 
Goldey-Beacom (3-7) opened the scoring in the top of the third, but SU countered with a Darden sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third. Graduate JuJu Cason stole third base with one out to preface the sacrifice fly.
 
A four-run fourth inning was the difference in the contest. With one out, an RBI-triple by Williams plated Byler to make it 2-1. Williams then scored on a fielder's choice, and Shilling tripled home freshman Carter Hinds.
 
Sophy worked out of a couple jams in his final two innings, getting an out at home on a fielder's choice in the fifth and inducing a groundball double play in the sixth. Miller yielded two four-pitch walks in the seventh but got a pop-up to short to end it.