SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team picked up its third series sweep of divisional play on Saturday by posting a pair of victories over Kutztown, defeating the Golden Bears 2-0 and 7-5 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division action at Fairchild Field.
 
Shippensburg (18-20, 12-6 PSAC East) got a two-hit shutout in the seven-inning opener of the doubleheader by junior Noah Nabholz, the first complete-game shutout of his career. Nabholz scattered two singles and two walks and struck out five.
 
The Raiders rallied from a pair of deficits in Game 2 with timely hitting and seven stolen bases – the most stolen bases in a single game by the team in 11 years (nine on March 12, 2011 vs. Clarion).
 
Junior Justin Darden had a strong day at the plate, particularly in Game 2. He finished the day 4-for-7 with a solo home run, double, two RBIs and three runs. Freshman Carter Hinds had three hits and two runs, while sophomore Joe Barbera reached base three times and had two of the team's seven stolen bases.  

Shippensburg sits third in the PSAC Eastern Division standings with three weekends of conference play remaining. SU has its "bye" weekend this week and will continue its homestand with four games at Fairchild Field, beginning with a 3 p.m. game Tuesday against Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Game 1: Shippensburg 2, Kutztown 0
 
The opener was a pitcher's dual between Nabholz and Dom Proietto that was done in about 90 minutes. The only extra-base hit of the game was a two-out, RBI-double by Darden in the bottom of the sixth that made it 2-0. Barbera hit a sacrifice fly in the third for the only other run of the game.
 
Nabholz threw 88 pitches in his shutout. Proietto allowed two runs (one earned) and scattered five hits, walking two and striking out six.
 
Game 2: Shippensburg 7, Kutztown 5
 
Kutztown (9-25, 4-14 PSAC) got to sophomore Gabe Stotler in the top of the first, using three straight singles to plate a run and added another in the frame on a two-out double down the right-field line.
 
SU answered in the fourth on an RBI-groundout by redshirt-sophomore Justin Byler and a solo bomb to left field by Darden.
 
Runs were in rapid succession in the middle innings as the Golden Bears plated two in the top of the fifth. Mike Kelly tripled with one out and Gavin Moretski was hit by a pitch with two outs. Designated hitter Mitch Peers sent a hard-hit ball into right field that sophomore Jafari Williams went into a sprint to try to catch but could not haul it in, making it 4-2 KU.
 
SU immediately tied it in the bottom half. An infield single by Hinds, a Williams walk and a Barbera hit by pitch loaded the bases. Sophomore Andrew Chronister hit a sacrifice fly and one batter later, an unconventional double steal saw Williams sneak home to tie the score.
 
In the bottom of the sixth with two outs, Williams hit a high fastball into the left-center field gap that split the outfielders and plated two runs to make it 6-4.
 
Sophomore Kaleb Sophy, who earned the win in relief, escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh by inducing a comeback to turn a 1-2-3 double play. The Golden Bears got a run on a two-out rally in the eighth against sophomore Austen Labarre but Hinds hit an RBI-single in the bottom half to keep the SU lead at two.
 
Sophomore Jackson LoBianco pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his fourth save of the season.
 
Stotler went five innings and struck out seven. Zach Male took the loss for KU, allowing six runs in six innings while striking out five.