The Shippensburg University baseball team had No. 13 West Chester on its heels for 14 innings, outplaying the Golden Rams in a sweep of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader Friday at Serpico Stadium in West Chester, 10-8 and 8-4.
 
Shippensburg (10-6, 4-2 PSAC East) totaled 18 runs on 21 hits against West Chester's (10-3, 3-3) top two starting pitchers. The Raiders' aggressive, all-out play also forced six West Chester errors over the course of the twinbill – as opposed to none for SU.
 
Junior Gio Calamia powered the Shippensburg offense in both games, hitting .571 (4-for-7) with four RBIs during the double header, including three two-out RBI hits.
 
Senior Austin Baal also went 4-for-7, highlighted by a big power outburst in Game 1 (3-for-3, 4 RBI, 2 R). Sophomore Mike Heckman broke out of a recent slump in a big way, going 4-for-8 with four runs scored.
 
Senior Ethan Miller came out of the bullpen and recorded the final out in both games. He allowed a total of one hit over three innings.
 
The sweep marked the first time the Raiders took both halves of a twinbill against West Chester since April 12, 2019; and their first road sweep against the Golden Rams in 24 years – dating back to April 29, 2000.
 
Next up, the Raiders wrap up the weekend series with the Golden Rams with a doubleheader Saturday at Fairchild Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
 
Game 1: Shippensburg 10, West Chester 8
 
The Raider lineup touched West Chester lefty Julian Costa for 10 hits and five earned runs, and the bullpen held on late to score the victory in Game 1.
 
Baal and senior Andrew Chronister each hit big home runs for the Raiders, while Heckman added a two-run double in support of the winning pitcher, sophomore Jaxon Dalena (4 IP, 4 R, 4 K).
 
Baal provided Dalena with early run support, smashing a three-run bomb in the top of the first.
 
The Golden Rams successfully chipped away at the deficit, plating single runs in the first and third, then taking the lead with a two-spot in the fourth, 4-3.
 
Baal came close to a second longball in his next turn, roping another towering drive in the right-center field gap that resulted in an RBI double. Calamia then lined a two-out RBI single to right to put the Raiders back in front, 5-4.
 
The Ship bats extended their lead with a massive five-run outburst in the sixth.
 
Junior Bryce Herb and junior Carter Hinds reached base ahead of Heckman, who worked the count full before delivering a line drive past the glove of West Chester third baseman Casey Vaughan for a two-run double.
 
The Golden Rams intentionally walked Baal later in the frame to put a pair of runners on for Chronister.
 
The veteran backstop made the Golden Rams pay, ripping a long line drive to straight-away left that cleared the outfield fence for a three-run bomb, resulting in 10-4 Shippensburg lead.
 
West Chester responded with four runs in the home half of the sixth against the Raider bullpen. A lead off single brought the tying run to plate in the Golden Rams' last chance bottom of the seventh, but Miller was able to settle in and get the next three hitters to record the save.
 
Game 2: Shippensburg 8, West Chester 4
 
The Raiders scored an absurd eight unearned runs against West Chester ace Joe Sperone enroute to victory in Game 2.
 
Shippensburg erased an early 1-0 deficit with a four-run rally in the top of the second that featured RBI triples from freshman Erby Weller and Calamia.
 
The Golden Rams plated three runs on just one hit to knot the score at 4-4 in the third. Starting pitcher Ryan Gleason was able to erase a lead-off single on a line drive double play, but command issues resulted in three West Chester runs.
 
The Golden Rams hit into a total of three line drive double plays in the game.
 
Small ball paid major dividends for the Raiders as they retook the lead in the fourth. A Weller bunt forced a WCU throwing error that resulted in a pair of runs. A Carter Hinds sacrifice bunt then brought home Weller to make it 7-4 Ship.
 
Calamia added another clutch two-out RBI single in the sixth to give the visitors a four-run cushion.
 
All the runs charged to Sperone were unearned. He pitched all seven innings for the Golden Rams, lowering his ERA on the season to 0.77.
 
Sophomore Brenden Anderson tossed 2.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win for Shippensburg.