With more than half of March in the books, the Shippensburg University baseball team has concluded most of its non-conference schedule and began Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play last week.
The Raiders, (6–11–1), played six games last week, picking up three wins, two losses and one tie. The Raiders opened the week Tuesday with a loss at the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown (UPJ), and then won the first game of a doubleheader against Chestnut Hill College Wednesday and tied in the second game.
SU followed the doubleheader with a split of a four-game series with PSAC East Division rival Bloomsburg University, Friday and Saturday.
Against UPJ, the Raiders bats were hot early. SU took an early three-run lead after three innings, behind a sacrifice fly by Jake Kennedy, a Grant Hoover RBI single and an RBI double off the bat of Kennedy.
UPJ came back to tie the game in the third inning, after a base-clearing double. The Raiders reclaimed the lead on an RBI single on a bunt by Cash Gladfelter, but UPJ pushed hard and used a strong sixth and eighth inning to come away with the win.
SU third baseman Ryan McMillen was fantastic for SU at the plate, going 4-for-5 while scoring two runs. It was not enough however, as UPJ picked up the win 8–5.
The Raiders’ offense responded in a big way Tuesday as SU pounded out 14 hits in the first game of a doubleheader against Chestnut Hill. Kennedy led the way with a monstrous game, going 3-for-5 with three home runs, and six RBIs. Kennedy became the first Raider to hit three home runs in a game since Jamie Eichelberger did so on April 5, 1997.
Drew Bene and Tommy Baggett also picked up three hits each in Game 1, while Gladfelter and Nick Spangler picked up multi-hit games for SU.
Gabe Mosser was on the mound for SU and picked up the win behind two innings of work in which he struck out three batters. The Raiders won the game 19–6.
In Game 2, the Raiders got on the board first with a sacrifice fly from Dalton Hoiles that scored McMillen, to give SU a 1–0 lead. In the second inning, Jake Kennedy launched his fourth home run of the day to give SU a 3–1 lead.
The Raiders led entering the seventh inning, but Chestnut Hill tied the game with a pair of two-out unearned runs before the game was called because it was too dark. The game resulted in a 3–3 tie.
Hoover started Game 2 against Chestnut Hill on the mound, allowing just one unearned run in 4 and 1/3 innings, while striking out six batters. Michael Hope finished the game, striking out three.
The Raiders then opened PSAC East Division play Friday and Saturday, splitting a four-game series with Bloomsburg.
The Raiders won Game 2, 5–1, and Game 3, 8–1, while dropping Game 1 and Game 4, 8–3 and 7–4, respectively.
The Raiders used strong pitching performances in the two wins to split with the Huskies. On Friday, Mark Curtis picked up his first win of the season. Curtis threw six innings, giving up one earned run on three hits while striking out seven batters.
Hoiles and Bene led the way for SU, as Hoiles drove in two runs and Bene drove in one in the victory. Kennedy and McMillen were each strong offensively, picking up two and three hits, respectively.
In Game 3, it was more of the same for SU.
The Raiders got a fantastic day on the mound from Mosser, who threw a seven-inning complete game in which he yielded just one run on six hits, while striking out 10 batters. The complete game was Mosser’s fifth at SU.
Kennedy and Gladfelter each homered in the victory.
It was a historic week for Kennedy, who now has 10 home runs through SU’s first 18 games. Kennedy previously set the single-season home run record with 19 home runs in 2015.
Kennedy played in 50 games in 2015, and is in good shape to break the SU home run record once again.
The Raiders, 6–11–1, will be back in action today against Shepherd University with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. from Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
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