Gallery: (2-28-2025) 2025 Baseball vs. Slippery Rock 2.28
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team received clutch pitching performances from starting pitcher
Jaxon Dalena and its bullpen as SU outdueled Slippery Rock in the series opener on a windy Friday afternoon at Fairchild Field, 2-1.
Four different Shippensburg (6-3) pitchers stranded a total of 13 baserunners and allowed just one earned run. Dalena authored his best outing of the young season, registering new season-highs in innings pitched (5.1) and strikeouts (8). Freshman
Thomas Davenport, junior
Brenden Anderson and junior
Jack Robinson combined for 3.2 scoreless innings out of the Raider 'pen.
Slippery Rock (3-2) out-hit the Raiders 9-to-6 in the contest and left the bases loaded twice late in the game.
Dalena and 2024 PSAC West Pitcher of the Year Gage Gillott traded zeroes until the Raiders bats backed their ace with a pair of manufactured runs in the fifth.
After sophomore
Mason Morris led off the frame with a walk, senior
Bryce Herb lined a solid single to left. The catcher Morris swiped third base – his fourth stolen base of the season – and scored on an RBI groundout from junior
Mike Heckman.
Senior
Carter Hinds followed with a beautifully executed squeeze bunt that drove home Herb for the Raiders' second run.
Dalena was lifted for Davenport with a 2-0 lead and with two outs and a pair of runners on in the sixth. A single from Brandon Butler allowed one of the inherited runners to score, but Davenport was able to get a big strikeout with the bases loaded to retire the side and keep Dalena in line for the win.
Anderson successfully stranded three more The Rock runners in the seventh.
Robinson, facing the top of The Rock batting order in the ninth, pitched around a lead-off single to nail down his first save of the season.
The Rock ace Gillott was saddled with loss after going six strong, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out four.
Herb (2-for-3) and freshman
Thomas Cano-Piszel (2-for-4) accounted for four of SU's six hits Friday. Shippensburg baserunners also recorded six stolen bases, including two from sophomore
Ty Sherman.
Next up, the Raiders continue their weekend series with The Rock with a doubleheader Saturday at Fairchild Field. First pitch of game one is set for 12 p.m.
