Baseball splits St. Patty’s Day double-header vs. LHU

The sound of an announcers voice seemed like a whisper on Shippensburg University campus as heavy winds gusted over the left field fence of Fairchild Field. The luck of the Irish seemed to be in full effect as the SU and Lock Haven baseball teams combined for 43 hits, including six home runs, on Saint Patrick’s Day.

SU had to host Tuesday’s game because Lock Haven’s field was unplayable, so the Raiders served as the visiting team at Fairchild Field. Raider baseball was able to win one game in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division double-header against Lock Haven. The win came in the first game with an 8-2 outcome while the Bald Eagles won the second game 10-8.

Game 1

Jake Kennedy stepped to the plate with bases loaded and sent a pitch into orbit over the left field fence for a grand slam to put Shippensburg up by four runs in the first inning. Shippensburg added four more runs in the second inning with a home run from Spangler and great efforts from Austin Allison, Mike Marcinko, Dalton Hoiles and Jimmy Spanos.

The early run support allowed Mark Curtis to be relaxed on the mound. He threw six innings, allowing only two runs on eight hits. Curtis recorded five strikeouts and only one walk. Freshman Grant Hoover came in as the closer and pitched a scoreless inning to finish the game.

Game 2

Shippensburg scored six runs in the first six innings. Seven Raider players finished with at least one hit, while six recorded one or more RBIs. Spanos and Hoiles went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run and Allison tripled and scored.

The seventh inning started with a Spanos double to right field. After Kennedy popped out, Hoiles hit a single and then both Spanos and Hoiles scored when Ezolt jacked a double to right center field.

A lineout left Ezolt on second and Hoover stepped to the plate as the tying run. Hoover hit a ground ball to the left side of the diamond and the Lock Haven short stop had a tough play and barely got a glove on the ball. As Ezolt made his way to third the ball was thrown and Ezolt was called out on a questionable fielder’s choice to end the game at 10-8.