The Shippensburg University baseball team posted a 3-0 shutout at Eckerd on Friday night, claiming the victory in a briskly paced nine-inning game on a beautiful evening in St. Petersburg, Florida.
 
Shippensburg (8-4) had three pitchers combine to allow just five hits. Graduate Jaxon Dalena was splendid, equaling his career high with seven innings pitched. Junior Brenden Anderson worked the eighth, and junior Jack Robinson finished the ninth for his second save.
 
Dalena, who was making his 15th career start, threw seven shutout innings for the first time in his career. He scattered four hits, walked just two, and struck out a season-high eight batters in his second straight start.
 
SU did not allow a runner to reach third base the entire night.
 
Eckerd (4-15) got a quality start from freshman Rocco Calise, a Ridley Township native who reached the PIAA '5A' state semifinals last season at Bonner/Prendergast. Calise allowed one earned run and six hits in six innings; he walked three and struck out nine.
 
The Tritons got two men on with one out in the fifth, but Dalena struck out back-to-back hitters to end the inning.  
 
SU made the most of its limited chances, with graduate Carter Arbuthnot delivering a two-out, two-run single in the second inning that proved to be the only RBIs of the game. Freshman Will Oates singled in the sixth and later scored on a wild pitch.
 
Game 2 of the series is set for 3 p.m. tomorrow.

BASEBALL: A two-run single by Carter Arbuthnot has the Raiders leading 2-0 entering the top of the third at Eckerd. pic.twitter.com/hJisK0wMN7

— Shippensburg University Raiders (@ShipURaiders) March 7, 2025

BASEBALL: Jaxon Dalena has struck out five and allowed just one hit through the first four innings, as the Raiders continue to lead 2-0 at Eckerd. pic.twitter.com/9F7JvjQhhw

— Shippensburg University Raiders (@ShipURaiders) March 8, 2025