SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team rallied to win the opening game of its doubleheader Saturday and clinch a series victory over Slippery Rock in conference crossover action at chilly and windy Fairchild Field. SU won Game 1, 6-3, before dropping the nightcap, 5-3.
 
Shippensburg (7-4) trailed 3-0 midway through both games on Saturday, as Slippery Rock (4-3) received strong starts from Joe Purcell and Nate Malak. In Game 1, senior Gio Calamia hit a three-run double in the bottom of the fifth to tie the score before the Raiders tacked on three runs in the sixth – paced by a leadoff triple by sophomore Ty Sherman.
 
Junior J.T. Weaver navigated through some early hiccups to fashion a complete-game victory in the opener and improve his record to 2-1. Weaver threw 80 pitches and retired the final nine batters he faced en route to the win. Overall, Weaver scattered three runs on seven hits, struck out three and did not issue a walk.
 
Freshman catcher Will Oates was 2-for-3 with an RBI in the opener. Oates and Sherman were the only Raiders with two hits on the day.
 
In Game 2, Malak allowed just one hit in five innings – a second-inning single by sophomore Mason Morris – while striking out six. Slippery Rock led 5-0 entering the bottom of the seventh.
 
Sherman began a seventh-inning rally for the Raiders with a leadoff single and came around to score two batters later on an RBI-single by senior Bryce Herb. With the bases loaded and one out, senior Carter Hinds delivered an RBI-single to make it 5-2.
 
Right fielder Michael Kitko replaced reliever Ethan Edkins on the mound and ultimately earned the save. He allowed a sacrifice fly to Calamia and then induced a popup to strand the tying runs on base.
 
Cam Panyko Morris homered in Game 1 for The Rock while Purcell homered in Game 2.
 
Shippensburg heads to Florida for a three-game series at Eckerd. First pitch of Friday's series opener is set for 6 p.m.