The Shippensburg University baseball team received signature pitching performances Friday from junior
Conner Barto and redshirt-sophomore
Brady Kain and scored seven of its 12 total runs with two outs as it swept a road doubleheader at Slippery Rock, 5-0 and 7-5, on a sunny and swell afternoon at Jack Critchfield Park.
Shippensburg (6-2) got a complete-game shutout in the opener from Barto who scattered five singles and three walks while striking out five. It was the first career complete game and shutout for Barto, whose previous career high for innings pitched was five on four different occasions.
In the nightcap, Kain entered out of the bullpen to begin the bottom of the second inning and proceeded to retire all 15 batters he faced. He struck out a career-high 10 batters – doubling his previous single-game best – while equaling his career high of five innings pitched.
Kain's 10 strikeouts are the most in a relief appearance by a Raider in 20 years – dating back to SU Hall of Famer Matt Wright fanning 12 in a six-inning appearance at No. 1 Georgia College & State on March 4, 2006. Wright pitched the seventh through the 12th inning that day, a
17-inning, five-plus hour marathon that the Raiders dropped 6-5.
Sophomores
Thomas Cano-Piszel and
Will Oates and each reached base four times in the doubleheader. Cano-Piszel had four hits, including a ground-rule double in the opener to go along with a two-run single and a triple in Game 2.
Freshman
Lucas Ream, who got the start in center field for both games, had three hits on the day – including his first collegiate home run.
Shippensburg's defense was also in top form on the day – highlighted by a tremendous Game 2 catch in left field by junior
Ty Sherman. The Raiders did not commit any errors on the day and turned a double play in the opener.
Game 1: Shippensburg 5, Slippery Rock 0
Holding a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning, senior
AJ Wenrich smacked a two-run home run to left field to extend the Raider advantage against Rock senior starter Nate Malak – an All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division performer last season.
Ream hit a tracer over the center-field fence in the sixth inning for a solo shot, and Sherman later added an RBI-single.
It was more than enough run support for Barto, who retired the final two batters of the game via swinging strikeout. While The Rock did get a man on in every inning, it never had a runner reach third base in the contest.
Herman and Cano-Piszel each had two hits in the game, while redshirt-sophomore
Brady Harbach drew two walks.
Game 2: Shippensburg 7, Slippery Rock 5
The nightcap had an inauspicious start for the Raiders, as Slippery Rock (3-2) opened the bottom of the first inning with six straight hits off junior
Bryce Amos. It ended up as a five-run, seven-hit start for the hosts.
After the quick start, The Rock only had one baserunner the rest of the game – a one-out walk off senior closer
Jack Robinson in the seventh inning.
The Raider comeback began in the second with a run on a sacrifice fly by redshirt-junior
Tony Falvo. Oates, who was 2-for-3 with a walk in the contest, led off with a single and later moved to third on a double by Ream.
SU added three more runs in the top of the third – all with two outs. Sophomore shortstop
Evan Shoffler scored on a wild pitch, and Cano-Piszel later hit a two-run single that plated Oates and Harbach.
Sherman's highlight-reel catch ended the bottom of the third inning – and the Raiders gained the lead in their next at-bat. Once again with two outs, Oates delivered a two-run single through the right side that made it a 6-5 game. The opportunity came about two batters after a throwing error by The Rock's third baseman prolonged the inning.
While the Raiders were tallying runs, Kain was mowing through opposing batters. He struck out two men in the second and the third inning before striking out the side in the fifth and two more in the sixth. SRU only hit two balls out of the infield in Kain's five pristine innings.
Swings and misses became a theme late in the nightcap, as the two teams combined for nine consecutive swinging strikeouts spanning one out in the top of the fifth through the first out in the bottom of the sixth.
Cano-Piszel ended a streak of seven consecutive Raider strikeouts by sending an 0-2 pitch into right field for a triple with two outs in the top of the seventh. He then scored on a wild pitch for an insurance run.
Robinson did not allow another baserunner besides his one-out walk in the bottom of the seventh, inducing a comebacker to end the game.
Up Next:
The two teams will be back at it tomorrow with another doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m.
