The Shippensburg University baseball team was stymied by No. 21 East Stroudsburg Friday, dropping both games of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader at Creekview Park, 3-0 and 5-2.
 
Shippensburg (16-13, 10-8 PSAC) mustered just two runs on six hits against the East Stroudsburg (26-3, 14-0) pitching staff. Junior shortstop Carter Hinds was responsible for both of the Raider runs, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in the nightcap.
 
Masterful pitching performances from East Stroudsburg ace Brent Francisco in Game 1 and the Warrior bullpen in Game 2 propelled the Warriors to the doubleheader sweep.
 
SU concludes the season series against East Stroudsburg with a doubleheader Saturday at Fairchild Field starting at 1 p.m.
 
Game 1: East Stroudsburg 3, Shippensburg 0
 
Francisco was nearly perfect as he shut down the Raider bats in the opener, 3-0.
 
The right-hander twirled a complete game one-hit shutout. He faced just one batter of the minimum and retired SU on an ultra-economical 72 pitches to pick his seventh victory this season.
 
East Stroudsburg pushed two across in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from Jack Rothenhausler. That turned out to be all the run-support that Francisco needed.
 
An infield single off the bat of junior Carter Arbuthnot in the top of the sixth inning was the only thing that separated Francisco from a perfect game.
 
Graduate lefty Ryan Gleason settled in after the first, posting zeroes in each of the next three frames. In five innings of work, Gleason allowed a total of three runs on three hits and recorded six punchouts.
 
Freshman Ryan Novakowski struck out one in a scoreless inning of relief.
 
Game 2: East Stroudsburg 5, Shippensburg 2
 
The Raiders could not sustain a strong start in a 5-2 setback in Game 2.
 
After junior Jaxon Dalena struck out the side in the bottom of the second, the Raider bats backed their right-hander with a pair of runs in the top of the third.
 
The two-out rally began with a single from freshman Ty Sherman. Hinds then doubled home Sherman for the game's first run, and junior Gio Calamia singled through the left side to make it 2-0 Ship.
 
East Stroudsburg manufactured a pair of runs against Dalena in the home-half of the fourth to knot the score, then added two more in the fifth against the Raider bullpen.
 
The Raiders loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth. ESU reliever Caden Parker came on and fanned the first two hitters he faced to strand all three baserunners. Parker would go on to pitch a scoreless seventh to earn the save.
 
The quartet of ESU relievers Greg Wiley, Johansel Brito, Carson Renner and Parker combined for zero runs in 4.1 innings pitched.
 
Dalena struck out six and was charged with three earned runs in four-plus innings of work.
 
Hinds and Calamia finished with a pair of hits for Shippensburg.