SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team dropped a close nine-inning battle to Pitt-Johnstown in a nonconference matchup Wednesday at Fairchild Field, 6-5.
 
Shippensburg (19-13) freshman Cole Snyder pitched a career-best four scoreless innings in his first career start and sophomore Caleb Newcomer tied it with his first career home run late, but Pitt-Johnstown (9-21) rallied to hand the Raiders a frustrating one-run loss.
 
The Raiders out-hit the Mountain Cats 10-to-7 in the contest. Freshman Kyle Ausgotharp led the way with three hits, in addition to a pair of RBIs. Senior Carter Hinds (2-3, two runs scored), senior Gio Calamia (2-4, RBI, run scored) and Newcomer (2-3, two runs scored, RBI) notched multi-hit games.
 
Pitchers Snyder and graduate Eric Bohenek did not allow a run through six. Snyder held the Mountain Cat bats to just two hits in his four innings of work and registered a pair of strikeouts.
 
Newcomer singled and Hinds doubled to start the home half of the third, and both baserunners came around to score to give Shippensburg an initial 2-0 edge.
 
The Raiders held the lead until the seventh, when Pitt-Johnstown rallied for three runs on three hits.
 
Newcomer hit a long fly ball to straight-away left for a solo home run to tie the score in the next half inning. The Raiders threatened for more, but a sharply hit line drive with two runners on resulted in an inning ending double play.
 
The SU bullpen allowed three more runs in the eighth – this time on only one hit. The Mountain Cats took advantage of two walks, two hit batters and a costly error in the frame.
 
Ausgotharp ripped a two-run single to draw closer in the ninth, but it was not enough.
 
Right-hander Roman Donis got the win for the Mountain Cats after pitching the final 2.2 innings in relief.
 
UPJ's Calvin Iseminger finished 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI after entering the game in the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
Shippensburg returns to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division play when it travels to East Stroudsburg for a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. Friday's scheduled home doubleheader has been postponed to 1 p.m. Sunday at Fairchild Field.
 

BASE: Caleb Newcomer's first career homerun ties up the score 3-3🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/oeNSMWX5oE

— Shippensburg University Raiders (@ShipURaiders) April 9, 2025