The Shippensburg University baseball team split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader against regional rival Shepherd Friday afternoon at Fairfax Field.
 
Shippensburg (23-19, 10-12) won a low-scoring opener behind a fourth straight complete game victory from graduate Jaxon Dalena, 4-2, while Shepherd (22-22, 9-13) took a high-scoring nightcap, 15-7.
 
Senior Carter Hinds had multi-hit games in both halves of the twinbill, finishing 5-for-9 (.556) with an RBI.
 
Sophomore Mason Morris launched a solo home run and drove in a pair of runs in SU's Game 1 victory. He was one of four Raiders to collect three hits in the doubleheader, joining senior Bryce Herb, junior AJ Wenrich and sophomore Ty Sherman.
 
The Rams made Dalena work, answering Morris' second-inning solo shot with a run in the bottom half of the frame, and tying the game late with a run in the bottom of the fifth, 2-2.
 
Shippensburg took the lead for good a half inning later.
 
Graduate Carter Arbuthnot started the rally with a one-out walk, Sherman then doubled to right center before Herb delivered the game-winning RBI single.
 
Morris also singled earlier in the game to drive in a run.
 
Dalena allowed just a total of five hits and two runs. He finished with eight strikeouts – marking his ninth straight appearance with six-or-more Ks. He now has 14.1 more innings logged (71.0 total) than his next closest competitor in the PSAC and leads the conference with 87 strikeouts.
 
In Game 2, the Raiders took an early 2-0 lead on RBI singles from Arbuthnot and Hinds, only for the Rams to ignite for eight runs in the bottom of the second frame.
 
The Raiders outhit the Rams 14-to-9 in the nightcap, but the hosts were able to take advantage of seven hit batters by SU pitching.
 
Freshman Jacob Dennis fanned five batters in 3.2 innings of relief.
 
The Raiders remain in fourth place in the PSAC East standings – one game ahead of Shepherd – following Friday's doubleheader.
 
Next up, Shippensburg will wrap up the weekend series against the Rams with a home doubleheader Saturday. First pitch of Game 1 from Fairchild Field is set for 1 p.m.