The Shippensburg University baseball team fell short of completing a six-run comeback against IUP on Tuesday, 7-5, at Owen J. Dougherty Field.
Shippensburg (19-18) scored four unanswered runs in the final four innings, with junior
Austin Baal and sophomores
Jaxon Dalena and
Carter Hinds each recording two hits.
IUP (14-19) opened the scoring in the first, with Markus Cestra scoring on a passed ball.
The Raiders tied the game in the third with sophomore
Gio Calamia advancing home from first on a single from graduate
Justin Byler.
The Crimson Hawks brought home six unanswered runs in the middle frames of the contest, highlighted by Sicinski launching a three-run home to right center to extend the IUP lead to 7-1.
SU began to mount a comeback in the sixth as Baal led off the inning with a homer to right center. Dalena followed suit with a home run of his own to cut the lead to four.
A pair of singles from Hinds and junior
Andrew Chronister in the eighth each brought home a run, but the comeback ended there as the Crimson Hawks held on to its two-run lead.
Redshirt-sophomore
Ray Winter got the start for the Raiders, striking out four and allowing two earned runs as he fell to 0-2 on the season.
Junior
Ethan Miller struck out three while allowing just one hit in two innings of relief.
The Raiders begin a pivotal Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) series against nationally ranked Millersville on Friday. Shippensburg hosts Millersville for a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon.
