The Shippensburg University baseball team went on the road for just the second time this season and emerged with a doubleheader split at Lock Haven on Sunday. The Bald Eagles won the opener, 2-0, while the Raiders won the nightcap, 12-1, in non-conference action at Watkins Field.
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Sophomore
Will Oates reached base in seven of his eight plate appearances on the day; he was the starting catcher in Game 1 and the designated hitter in Game 2. Oates was 5-for-6 with two walks, two stolen bases and three runs scored.
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Fellow sophomore
Evan Shoffler got on base five times; he was 3-for-6 with a two-run double, two walks, two stolen bases and three runs scored.
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Overall in the four-game series, Oates reached base in 10 of his 12 plate appearances (6-for-8, four walks, four runs) while Shoffler got on base in 14 of his 19 plate appearances (11-for-16, four extra-base hits, seven RBIs, two walks, a hit-by-pitch, four stolen bases, 10 runs).
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The only earned run against the Raiders on Sunday was a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning in Game 2.
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Shippensburg returns to action at 1 p.m. Friday when it travels to Kutztown for a doubleheader to start Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division play.
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Game 1: Lock Haven 2, Shippensburg 0
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In the opener, there were no extra-base hits, no RBIs and no earned runs. The Bald Eagles plated the only two runs of the game in the bottom of the second inning on back-to-back Raider errors with two outs.
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Oates and Shoffler and each had two hits. Shoffler led off the game with a single and stole second base. Freshman
Lucas Ream worked a pair of walks – including an eight-pitch base on balls in the fourth.
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Redshirt-sophomore
Kaleb Maksimik took the hard-luck loss, allowing just four singles and two walks while striking out three. Both runs against him were unearned. Sophomore
Jacob Dennis threw a scoreless sixth; he hit two batters and had one strikeout.
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SU finished with six singles but also had a runner picked off and hit into a double play.
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Tyler Serb earned the shutout for Lock Haven in a 101-pitch effort, striking out three while scattering eight base runners.
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Game 2: Shippensburg 12, Lock Haven 1
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Shippensburg scored six runs before an out was recorded in the top of the second inning to take control of the nightcap from the outset. SU took a 1-0 lead in the first on back-to-back leadoff walks, a double steal, and a seeing-eye single by senior
AJ Wenrich.
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In the seven-run second, the Raiders began with sophomore
Kyle Ausgotharp delivering a single and junior
Jake Pope being hit by a pitch. Senior
Mike Heckman then dropped down a sacrifice bunt that did not go well for the hosts; Ausgotharp scored on an errant throw by the third baseman and Pope moved to third base.
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Shoffler promptly doubled both runners home. After a walk to Oates, Wenrich then doubled them both home – chasing the Bald Eagle starting pitcher. Junior
Ty Sherman singled home Wenrich, and another unearned run came across the plate later in the inning.
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Lock Haven broke up the shutout bid with a two-out RBI-single in the bottom of the seventh.
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Senior
Brenden Anderson made his fourth career start and got the win, throwing five shutout innings. Anderson allowed just two singles and a walk while striking out a career-high five hitters. His five innings pitched also matches a single-game best achieved last season against Shepherd.
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Wenrich finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs. Sherman was 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Oates reached base in all five of his plate appearances (three singles, two walks).
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