The Shippensburg University baseball team kept its hot streak alive after a compelling 7–3 victory over Lock Haven University on Tuesday afternoon at Fairchild Field.

Lock Haven got on the board in the top of the first inning when Scott Zuback drove in Jay Hartman on a fielder’s choice ground out. Lock Haven’s Ryan Henritzy scored the second run of the inning on an Austin Botts double to left center, giving LHU a 2–0 lead.

Senior Simon Beloff got the SU offense on its feet with a blast to right field that put the Raiders on the board in the second. The Raiders could not capitalize on the leadoff home run and left a runner on third to end the inning with SU down 2–1.

Both teams were quiet until the top of the fifth when LHU put its leadoff batter on with a single up the middle. A hit-by-pitch and sacrifice bunt by Zuback moved runners into scoring position with one out. However, SU pitcher Rich Michaud delivered two straight strikeouts to get the Raiders out of the jam and back to the dugout for an explosive bottom half of the inning.

Junior Michael Douglas reached third on a fly ball to right field that was misjudged for an error. Douglas was able to score on a Cal Hogan grounder to the shortstop that was misplayed. A Tyler Shover single through the pitcher’s mound allowed Hogan to reach third and be driven in by Pat Kregeloh. SU now led 3–2 with two runs on two errors.

A slow sixth inning provided LHU time to get its bats warm for the seventh. Shortstop Josh Jones led off the seventh with a single down the third base line. A sacrifice bunt allowed Jones to move into scoring position with one out. He later scored when Zuback singled to left to tie the game at three. SU’s Austin Bartley came in to quell LHU’s bats. Bartley kept the ball low and got LHU to ground into a 1-4-3 double play to stop the threat.

Two walks and two wild pitches got runners in position early for the Raiders. Kregeloh continued his hot streak in the bottom of the seventh when he unloaded on an inside pitch and drove it deep into the left-center gap for a triple. This scored two runs for the Raiders and put Kregeloh at 41 RBIs for the season. Kregeloh scored on a wild pitch just before Kyle Hollingsworth hit the Raiders’ second home run of the game over the right-field fence.

The Raiders held on to the 7–3 lead through the next two innings with solid pitching from Hollingsworth (3–0) who picked up the win in relief. The Raiders will look to continue their winning streak against Wilmington College on Wednesday afternoon at Fairchild Field.

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