The Shippensburg University baseball team suffered a pair of one-run setbacks against No. 20 Millersville in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader Friday afternoon at Cooper Park.
 
Shippensburg (16-9, 3-3 PSAC East) graduate Jaxon Dalena and redshirt-senior Cameron Goble both pitched well, combining for 11 innings pitched and two earned runs against a stacked Millersville (20-3, 6-0) lineup.
 
Dalena, SU's Game 1 starter, held the Marauders to two runs on two hits over six strong innings, while Goble authored his best start of the season in the nightcap, allowing two hits in five scoreless frames.
 
Offensively, the SU bats registered just six hits. Junior Mike Heckman and graduate Carter Arbuthnot tallied RBI singles in the Game 2.
 
Next up, Shippensburg wraps up the season series with the Marauders with a home doubleheader Saturday at Fairchild Field. Game 1 is set for 1 p.m.
 
 
Game 1: Millersville 2, Shippensburg 1
 
Millersville starting pitcher Connor Blantz flirted with a no-hitter and a perfect game as he outdid Dalena in a Game 1 pitchers' duel, 2-1.
 
The Millersville right-hander did not allow a baserunner until the fifth and didn't allow a hit until the seventh, but Dalena was just as effective, holding the nationally ranked Marauders to just two hits, striking out six and walking two.
 
Dalena started strong, striking out the side in order in the bottom half of the first. The Marauders were able to scratch a run across against the Ship right-hander two innings later. Bren Taylor led off the third inning with a single, advanced to third without a hit and scored on a sacrifice bunt from Jimmy Kirk, 1-0.
 
Millersville's Donis Rodriguez later ripped a solo shot to right in the sixth to make it 2-0.
 
Shippensburg recorded its first baserunner against Blantz via catcher's interference in the top half of the fifth.
 
Senior Gio Calamia then broke up Blantz's no-no with a sharp single to right to begin the seventh. He advanced to third base on a two-base error, and sophomore Mason Morris plated him with a sac fly.
 
Sophomore Ty Sherman stepped up and singled against Blantz one batter later and advanced to scoring position with two outs.
 
Millersville called upon closer Evan Rishell to get the next batter on a comebacker to strand the potential tying run.
 
Blantz improved to 4-0 on the season with the victory. He finished with eight strikeouts and zero walks.
 
 
Game 2: Millersville 4, Shippensburg 3
 
The Raiders let a 3-0 lead slip in the last two frames of Game 2, as the Marauders completed the doubleheader sweep in walk-off fashion, 4-3.
 
Heckman lined an RBI single in the third, and Arbuthnot grounded a full count pitch back through the middle with two outs in the fourth to plate additional more runs.
 
The Marauders, held in check by Goble through five, were able to get to the Raiders bullpen, scoring the first two earned runs allowed by junior Brenden Anderson in 17.1 innings this season to make it a one run game through six.
 
Bren Taylor then lined a two-run single with the bases loaded off SU junior closer Jack Robinson in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the hosts a walk-off victory.
 
Goble allowed just two hits, two walks and recorded a pair of strikeouts.  
 
Senior Carter Hinds and Morris each singled to round out the Raiders' four hits.
 
Taylor and Sam Morris were 2-for-3 for Millersville.