The Shippensburg University baseball team split its season series with Millersville University after capturing one game on Sunday afternoon. The Raiders fell to MU in Game 1, 4-0 before flipping the script and winning Game 2 by a score 4-1.
SU (18-18, 12-8 PASC) was led by senior Jimmy Spanos and junior Austin Allison at the plate. The two combined to go 6-for-12 while scoring a run. Spanos also added a stolen base in the second game.
Sophomore Jake Kennedy continued to swing the bat well for the Raiders. Kennedy hit his 15th homerun of the season in Game 2 off MU (29-7, 16-4 PSAC) pitcher Jim McDade. Kennedy is currently 3rd in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for total homeruns.
Junior Rich Michaud picked up his 5th win of the season and his second in a row after tossing a complete game shutout in Game 2. Michaud stuck out four batters, scattered four hits and allowed a lone run for the Raiders.
Raider freshman Dalton Hoiles and red-shirt freshman Tyler Betz each went 2-for-6 on the day, respectively while Betz added a stolen base in Game 2.
Game 1:
Sophomore Mark Curtis got the nod for SU in Game 1, but struggled from the start. Curtis gave up a 1st inning two-run homerun followed by a run in the 2nd and 4th innings.
The Raider offense was kept at bay by MU pitcher Brandon Miller. Miller recorded six strikeouts in seven innings of work.
SU’s best chances to score came in the 4th and 5th innings. The Raiders managed to get a runner on third in both innings but could not push them across.
Game 2:
SU jumped out to an early lead after senior Cody Ezolt hit a two RBI single to left field, scoring sophomore Ryan McMillen and Spanos.
Millersville pulled within one run, 2-1, in the bottom half of the frame. Dan Stoltzfus singled through the hole in the right side, scoring Dan Neff. On the play, Chas McCormick was thrown out trying to reach third base.
Michaud settled in from there on and retired the next six batters in order before allowing a single in the third inning. Michaud only gave up one hit the rest of the game.
Following Kennedy’s homerun in the 6th inning, Betz scored on a passed ball in the 7th inning.
Shippensburg will hit the road Tuesday for a 3 p.m. crossover doubleheader at Slippery Rock. The SRU games are taking the place of the originally-scheduled Wilmington University game, which is postponed because Wilmington will be facing West Chester University.
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