The Shippensburg University baseball team picked up its first win of the season on Sunday against Catawba College, aided by a trio of home runs in a seven-run third inning, to defeat the hosts by a score of 12-9 in an afternoon matchup down in North Carolina.
 
Shippensburg (1-2) was held hitless through the first two innings and trailed 2-0 entering the third after a two-run triple by Levi Perrell in the bottom of the second.
 
The momentum quickly shifted after sophomore Gio Calamia hit his first home run of the season. His three-run homer to right field brought sophomore Carter Hinds and freshman Mike Heckman home with him.
 
After a single from junior Joe Barbera, junior Andrew Chronister hit his first collegiate home run to center field to extend the SU lead. Still in the third, junior Austin Baal joined in on the home run parade, blasting a two-run shot over the right field wall, to extend the Shippensburg lead to 7-2.
 
Catawba (2-1) clawed its way back to tie the game, scoring three runs in the fourth and two more in the bottom of the fifth. But the Raiders pulled away once again, scoring four runs in the top of the sixth. Junior Morgan Wyatt took the first pitch of his at-bat over the right field wall for a three-run homer.
 
Barbera scored on a throwing error on a double-steal in the seventh, which helped ensure the SU victory.
 
Calamia, Wyatt, and Chronister each finished the day with three RBIs while Baal finished with two. Five Raiders recorded multiple hits in the contest: Calamia, Wyatt, Chronister, Barbera and Hinds. SU also stole three bases and was hit by five pitches.
 
Junior Gabe Stotler earned the win for Shippensburg, throwing three innings in relief. Fellow junior Ethan Miller got the start and pitched four innings and struck out six batters.
 
SU will travel back to North Carolina next weekend for a three-game series against Mount Olive that begins Friday, Feb. 10. First pitch is at 3 p.m.