The Shippensburg University baseball team took care of business on the field and got help elsewhere to remain alive for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament berth, sweeping the Mansfield Mountaineers to wrap up its regular season schedule Friday at Mansfield's Joseph Shaute Field, 2-0 and 4-3.
 
Shippensburg (27-22, 12-12 PSAC East) pitching held Mansfield (13-32, 4-20) to just three runs over 16 total innings, including a seven-inning complete game shutout by Game 1 starter redshirt-freshman Eric Bohenek.
 
Junior Austin Baal smashed RBI doubles in both games, contributing a .444 batting average, four hits and two runs batted in for the day.
 
Freshman Mike Heckman, sophomore Bryce Herb and sophomore Gio Calamia finished with three hits apiece.
 
Sophomore Carter Hinds extended his current hit streak to 14 games with a single in his final at bat of both contests.
 
Bloomsburg and Kutztown both lost Friday, keeping the Raiders alive for a PSAC Tournament berth entering the final day of play in the regular season.
 
The Raiders will need a Millersville sweep of Bloomsburg Saturday to secure the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Division and a trip to Slippery Rock for next week's tourney.
 
Game 1: Shippensburg 2, Mansfield 0
 
Bohenek's brisk pace on the mound set a tone for the doubleheader, attacking the Mountie hitters with plenty of strikes, coaxing a lot of weak contact early in the count.
 
The side winding right-hander retired the side in order four times during his Game 1 triumph, and faced one batter over the minimum from the fourth inning on.
 
Bohenek held the Mounties to just four hits and one walk. His seven innings of work represent a new career best.
 
He has allowed zero earned runs in his last three outings -- spanning a total of 16 innings – lowering his season ERA to 4.22.
 
The Raiders finally broke the scoreless stalemate by scratching a run across in the top of the fourth. Calamia began the rally with a two-out single. He swiped second to move into scoring position for Bryce Herb, who lifted a single to right-center to drive in the run.
 
Ship tacked on a vital insurance run in the seventh. Hinds extended his hit streak with a single and Justin Byler drew a walk ahead of Baal. Baal scalded a double down the right field line that allowed Hinds to score easily. Byler tried to score from first on the play, but a strong Mansfield relay resulted in an out.
 
Heckman, Calamia and Herb recorded a pair of hits.
 
Austin Lewis went the distance for Mansfield, allowing just two earned runs and striking out four.
 
Game 2: Shippensburg 4, Mansfield 3
 
Baal slammed a double off the base of the left-centerfield fence to kick start a three-run third in the nightcap. After a Herb RBI groundout, Calamia laced a two-out RBI single to right to give the Raiders a 3-0 edge.
 
Heckman then added a hot-shot RBI double in the fourth to make it 4-0.
 
Junior Jackson LoBianco got the start in the nightcap and pitched well, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits over four-plus innings.
 
The Raiders ran into trouble after going to their bullpen in the fifth, but redshirt-sophomore Brock Piper came in and stranded the bases loaded – holding the Mounties to just two runs in the frame.
 
Piper allowed just one hit over 2.1 innings.
 
Junior Austen LaBarre entered the game in the eighth and held the Mounties without a hit over the final two frames to record his ninth save of the season.
 
Jacob Houtz tallied three hits, including a third-inning solo home run, for the Mountaineers.