MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team dropped a back-and-forth opening game of its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) series with No. 14 Millersville on Friday, 3-2, at Cooper Field.
 
Shippensburg (19-19, 7-9 PSAC East) posted eight hits, with five hits across the sixth and seventh inning.
 
Millersville (28-6, 11-2) scored three runs off two home runs from Bren Taylor.
 
The Marauders broke open the scoring in the third when Taylor blasted his second hit of the day over the bullpen past the right field wall.
 
With no outs and the bases loaded in the bottom the fifth, junior Jackson LoBianco battled to retire three straight and swing the momentum in the Raiders' favor heading into the sixth.
 
A trifecta of two-out singles in the sixth from sophomores Carter Hinds, Carter Arbuthnot and Bryce Herb allowed SU to tie the game, 1-1.
 
LoBianco and the Shippensburg defense extended the momentum into the seventh by quickly sending all three Millersville batters back to the dugout.
 
Gutsy baserunning from sophomore Gio Calamia gave the Raiders the lead, scoring from second on a fielder's choice.
 
As tensions rose in the bottom of the seventh, a hit batter swung the momentum back towards the Marauders as Taylor launched his second home run and fourth hit of the game over the right field wall to regain the lead.
 
LoBianco fell to 3-2 on the year, while striking out two and leaving nine Millersville runners on base.
 
Redshirt-freshman Eric Bohenek and junior Ethan Miller each pitched an inning of relief and recorded a strikeout.
 
Freshman Mike Heckman finished the day 3-for-5. Hinds notched a double and a single while Herb recorded Shippensburg's lone RBI.
 
SU hosts a doubleheader with the Marauders at Fairchild Field on Saturday to complete the season series. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.