Shippensburg University’s baseball team made the long trip to North Carolina over the weekend to open its season with doubleheaders against Belmont Abbey University and Wingate University.

The Raiders split both doubleheaders on the weekend. The Raiders dropped the first matchup against Belmont Abbey University 7-3 on Friday, before bouncing back in the second game to pick up their first win of the year, 1-0. The team also dropped the first game of the doubleheader with Wingate University 7-1 before winning the second game 10-8.

In Game 1 against Belmont Abbey, SU fell behind early after Marcus Shippey walked two batters in the first inning. Nick Nunziato made Shippey pay in the inning, depositing a 1-0 pitch over the center field wall to take an early 3-0 lead.

The Raiders would rally back in the second inning, scoring on a fielder’s choice with the aid of Belmont Abbey errors that allowed Dalton Hoiles to score an unearned run. SU would add another run on a groundout to the pitcher, bringing the score to 3-2.

Belmont Abbey would not need much time to respond, however, as Kayden Krause tripled in the bottom half of the 2nd, scoring two. The Crusaders would also add another run on a sacrifice fly, taking a commanding 6-2 lead.

The Raiders drew closer in the end, but were unable to overcome the early deficit. SU scored in the fourth inning on a Nick Spangler RBI single and Belmont would tally another run to win Game 1 7-3.

In Game 2 of the doubleheader with Belmont Abbey, the snow flurries and cold weather throughout the game began to take its toll. Both offenses subsided in Game 2, as only one run was plated in the game.

SU junior team captain Mark Curtis threw a splendid game, pitching six-shutout innings and racking up four strikeouts in the game as the Raiders shutout the Crusaders, 1-0. Curtis picked up the first win on the season for the Raiders on the mound.

Nick Spangler picked up the lone RBI in the game for SU, on a single in the fourth inning that scored Dalton Hoiles. Josh Kutchey picked up the save for the Raiders after allowing a one-out single in the seventh.

In day two of action for the Raiders, SU split its matchups at Wingate University, dropping the first matchup and winning the second.

In Game 1, the Raiders got on the board first on a Tyler Betz sacrifice fly to centerfield, putting SU on top 1-0. It would be all Bulldogs from that point on, as Wingate outscored the Raiders 7-0 for the rest of the game. Wingate put up a four-spot in the 5th inning after a three-run home run by Bill Krebs and an RBI double by Brett Branton. The Bulldogs would tack on two more runs and win the game 7-1.

In Game 2, SU got off to an electric start. The Raiders took a commanding lead in the top half of the first inning. The offense exploded with an RBI double off the bat of Dalton Hoiles. Ryan McMillen then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Nick Spangler and put the Raiders up 2-0. SU would score again on an RBI single from Austin Allison and Allison would later score on a balk. The Raiders led 4-1 after the first inning.

The offenses of both teams kept lighting up the scoreboard as both teams kept producing. The Raiders piled on more runs throughout the game and Wingate began to draw closer. The Raiders led 9-5 after the fourth inning.

SU started off the fifth inning with a shot off the bat of freshman Cash Gladfelter. The solo home run was the first home run for the Raiders in 2016. Wingate would respond to the home run with three runs in the final two innings. SU closer Josh Kutchey entered the game with the bases loaded and one out, but was able to shut the door on the Bulldogs’ comeback attempt, earning his second save of the season. The Raiders won Game 2, 10-8.

SU got strong production out of Hoiles, who went 6-14 at the plate for the Raiders, batting .429 over the four games. Hoiles had three doubles and two stolen bases over the weekend.

The Raiders, 2-2, will continue their season on the road next weekend with a three game series against Catawba University in North Carolina.

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