Jimmy Spanos drove in two while Pat Kregeloh picked up his third win as the Shippensburg University baseball team utilized some small-ball to defeat Concord University 10-5 in Game 1 of its doubleheader on Saturday at Fairchild Field.

Having been held scoreless the first two innings, the Raiders began to manufacture runs in the third inning. After a Cody Ezolt walk, Cal Hogan got on base after CU’s pitcher Drew Spear misread a sacrifice bunt attempt. After a Mike Marcinko bunt moved Ezolt and Hogan into scoring position, Michael Douglas laid down a suicide-squeeze attempt that both Spear and CU’s infield misread, allowing Ezolt to come home for a 1–0 advantage.

The production did not end there in the inning. After a Douglas steal, Jimmy Spanos manufactured another run with a ground-out to second, scoring Hogan and advancing Douglas to third. Douglas tallied the third and final run of the inning after a passed ball got away from CU’s catcher Charles Goss.

The Raiders struck for three more in the fourth due to sloppy Mountain Lion infield play. Ezolt led off and laced a double down the left field line. Later, Cassada booted a ground ball, allowing Hogan to reach base. Marcinko and Jimmy Spanos took advantage and each drove in runs to give the Raiders a 6-0 lead.

However, the Mountain Lions roared back in the sixth. Sophomore Ryan Johnston took advantage of a Jacob Mays walk and singles by Jerrod Groves and Bret Blevins and rocked a Kregeloh delivery to deep left, bouncing off left fielder David McKolosky’s glove as he crashed into the chain link fence. The ball caromed away from an injured McKolosky, allowing the bases to clear and CU to pull within two runs.

After a Joe Camp sacrifice fly brought the Raiders lead to one, catcher Tyler Shover threw out Devin Smith as he tried to steal second, ending the rally.

SU added insurance in the bottom half of the frame with RBI’s from Shover and Cody Kulp to put SU ahead by five. Austin Bartley came on in relief to seal the Raiders’ victory.

Kregeloh (3-0) threw three innings of no-hit ball and five innings of shut-out ball before giving up five earned in the sixth.

Seven Raiders registered a hit in Game 1.

In the second game of the home-opening doubleheader, the Shippensburg University Raider baseball team rode the solid pitching from their starter to take the game 3–0 against the Concord Mountain Lions.

Senior Tom Bush started the game for SU and had a successful outing at home. Bush opened the game by striking out the first two batters and finishing the tip half of the first with a pop-out to second base.

Bush opened the second frame with a strikeout, but after a throwing error by the shortstop and a single up the middle, Concord was threatening in the second inning. This threat was quickly extinguished after a K and pick-off to the end the inning. Catcher Tyler Shover made the inning-ending pick-off throw to second base.

In the bottom of the second, SU’s bats came alive. Pat Kregeloh hit a lead-off double, putting SU in prime position to push an early run across the plate. Shover, who was next in the lineup, singled up the middle to bring in the game’s first run.

After a stolen base, a walk and a fielding error, SU had the bases loaded. Cal Hogan took advantage of the opportunity and knocked a single to left-center field, pushing two more runs across the plate. SU had a 3-0 lead after two innings.

With the lead, Bush settled in and took control of the game. Concord could only threaten with a few hits, but was never able to put a rally together. In the third inning, CU had two runners on base, but Bush neutralized the bats and put an end to the inning.

SU was not able to add any more runs onto its lead, but it would prove not to matter. Bush sat the
CU lineup down in order in the fourth and fifth innings.

In the sixth, CU had two men on base, but was once again unable to get anyone home. In the seventh, Bush allowed a lead-off double down the line, but once again held the CU Mountain Lions to no runs.

Bush pitched a complete game, gave up only six hits in the game and struck out 10 batters.

SU returns to the diamond Sunday afternoon for another match-up with Concord at 1 p.m.

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