The Shippensburg University baseball team lost game two of a three-game series to Catawba, 12-3, on Saturday afternoon at Newman Park in North Carolina. Catawba broke open a tight 4-3 ballgame, exploding for seven runs in the seventh inning to build an eight-run cushion.
 
Graduate Justin Byler was 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI. Byler is 5-for-8 with four RBI so far in the series. Senior Austin Baal was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.  
 
Junior Carter Hinds went 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Sophomore J.T. Weaver (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) started the game on the mound, pitching 3.2 innings. Weaver allowed four runs on six hits with four strikeouts.
 
The Raiders (1-2) got the on the scoreboard first with two runs in the top of the third. A one-out single got the inning going, setting up back-to-back RBI doubles by Byler and Baal. Catawba answered quickly, tying the game at 2-2. The Indians loaded the bases with no outs and a double by Cole Hales pushed two runs across the plate.
 
The Indians (6-3) kept the bats going, plating two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Catawba loaded the bases again to set up a two-out, two-run single by Bo Rusher III.
 
Shippensburg got a run back in the fifth inning to cut the deficit to a single run, 4-3. Byler singled to left center for his second RBI of the game, scoring Hinds who singled to lead off the inning.
 
Catawba broke open the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. A walk and a single gave the Indians two quick baserunners. An RBI single by Hales started the scoring and Colby Taylor added two more with a two-run single. A sacrifice fly and another single plated the next two runs, and a two-run single by Sam Hunter made it an 11-3 ballgame.
 
The Indians earned its final run in the eighth courtesy of a Shippensburg error. The Raiders had just one hit over the final four frames.
 
For Catawba, Hunter finished 2-for-2 at the plate with two RBI and two walks. Hales went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Rusher III went 3-for-5 with two RBI and Colby Taylor had one hit and an RBI.   
 
SU is back in action tomorrow with Catawba for the series finale at 1 p.m. at. Newman Park.