SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team clinched a playoff spot with a Saturday series sweep of Mansfield, defeating the Mountaineers by scores of 8-1 and 15-4 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division action at Fairchild Field.
 
Shippensburg (25-20, 15-6 PSAC East) totaled 26 hits in the doubleheader, with 14 of those hits coming in Game 2. The Raiders extended their winning streak to 10 games with the Game 2 win, scoring 13 unanswered runs after trailing 4-2.
 
All 10 Raider starters had at least one hit, including multiple hits from nine of the 10 starters. Senior Justin Darden had three hits, a sacrifice fly, and reached base five times. Senior Lake Lloyd had four hits, including a double, and seven RBIs. Redshirt-sophomore Justin Byler also had four hits, including a double, a triple, and six RBIs.
 
Graduate JuJu Cason, senior Ben Werkheiser, and sophomore Joe Barbera each had three hits, including an RBI each from Cason and Werkheiser. Sophomore Andrew Chronister had two RBIs, including a triple, while graduate Jordan Yoder and senior Andres Garcia had an RBI each.
 
SU enters the final weekend of the season tied for first place in the PSAC Eastern Division standings with Millersville and West Chester. Seeding is still very much to be determined.
 
Saturday marked the fourth series sweep of the season for Shippensburg, with the Raiders having posted a 12-0 record this season against Shepherd, Mansfield, Kutztown and Lock Haven.
 
The Raiders will travel to West Chester on Thursday for a nine-inning game at 2 p.m. before concluding their regular season with a doubleheader at Fairchild Field on Friday at 12 p.m.
 
Game 1: Shippensburg 8, Mansfield 1 (7-inning game)
 
Shippensburg took an early lead in the first inning with a bases-loaded two-run single up the middle by Byler. Mansfield (20-22, 11-10) answered back with a solo home run to right center to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
 
SU scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back singles from Barbera and Werkheiser and a walk from Darden to load the bases. An RBI-single to left field by Byler scored one run, and a two-run single to right center by Lloyd sent Byler and Darden home. Yoder hits a sacrifice fly to right field to bring Chronister home, while Cason hit an RBI-single to third base to take a 7-1 lead.
 
The Raiders scored one more run in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI- single by Lloyd through the left side to score Darden who reached base on a single.  
 
Junior Noah Nabholz threw a complete game, allowed seven hits, and struck out eight Mountaineers.
 
Game 2: Shippensburg 15, Mansfield 4 (nine-inning)
 
Similar to Game 1, Shippensburg took a two-run lead, scoring from a Mountaineer error and a sac fly by Darden. Mansfield answered with three runs in the top of the third including an RBI-double to left field and two-run home run to right field. The Mountaineers added one more run in the next inning from an RBI-double.

Shippensburg tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with Chronister bringing a run home when he hit into a fielder's choice and a sac fly by Lloyd. The Raiders scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, from a sacrifice fly by Werkheiser, a Mountaineer error, an RBI-double by Byler and an RBI-triple by Chronister to take an 8-4 lead.
 
SU scored four more runs in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run double by Lloyd to left field, an RBI-single by Garcia and a Mountaineer error. The Raiders secured the win in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run triple by Byler to left center and an RBI-single by Lloyd to left center to take a 15-4 lead.
 
Sophomore Gabe Stotler started on the mound for the Raiders and threw 3.1 innings, allowing four runs with one strikeout. Sophomore Ethan Miller came in as one of three relief pitchers and got the win. He threw 2.1 innings, allowing one run and struck out three. Fellow sophomore, Kaleb Sophy threw 2.1 innings, allowing no hits or runs, and struck out three. Sophomore Jackson LoBianco got the final three outs, including one via strikeout.
 
Between Game 1 and Game 2, the Raiders celebrated their eight seniors: Cason, Darden, Garcia, Lloyd, Matt Shilling, Werkheiser, Yoder, and Nick Zegna.