Shippensburg University baseball went 0-5 this past week, falling 4-3 at No. 24 Seton Hill on Tuesday before losing four games against Bloomsburg over the weekend. The team falls to 17-10 overall and 4-4 in conference play.

The week began with SU starting hot against the Griffins, as senior AJ Wenrich clobbered an opposite-field home run in the first inning for a 2-0 lead. Seton Hill would pull ahead in the third inning before adding an insurance run in the sixth.

SU’s bats went quiet until the ninth inning, as the first three hitters reached base, with freshman Lucas Ream driving home a run. This brought the score to 4-3, but a strikeout followed by a double play would end the Raiders’ rally.

Sophomore Thomas Cano-Piszel and junior Jake Pope each had two hits for SU. Junior Bryce Amos went four innings in his start, taking the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) in four innings.

Friday’s home doubleheader against Bloomsburg saw the Huskies jump ahead 3-0 before sophomore Will Oates socked a two-run home run to left, making it a one-run game. The Raiders’ offense would stall from there, as they did not score again in an 8-2 defeat.

Junior Conner Barto went 3.2 innings in his start, giving up six runs (five earned) on six hits and four walks. He struck out three in the loss. Brandon Wozniak threw a complete game for BU, the first of his collegiate career.

Game 2 of the day saw the Raiders start out front, with a Wenrich triple scoring Oates for a 1-0 lead. Wenrich left the game after this hit, suffering an apparent injury as he made his way to third base.

Shippensburg did not score the rest of the game, only mustering three hits in the final six innings of a 6-1 setback. Andrew Armstrong went the distance on the bump for the Huskies, earning his first complete game.

Freshman Jonah Mayer’s start lasted 4.1 innings for SU, as he allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts. Oates reached base in each of his three plate appearances, recording a double and two walks.

The series moved to Bloomsburg on Sunday, where the Huskies earned a 4-0 lead by the fourth inning of Game 1. Pope got the SU comeback going with an RBI double in the fifth, followed by Cano-Piszel hitting a two-run home run to make it a one-run game.

Wenrich came off the bench in the seventh and final inning, tying the game with a fielder’s choice. Back-to-back strikeouts followed though, keeping the game tied. Bloomsburg would then secure a walk-off victory on an error in the bottom half of the frame.

Redshirt sophomore Kaleb Maksimik put up a strong start for SU, going six innings on 107 pitches. He allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and four walks, striking out four. Redshirt sophomore Brady Kain took the loss in relief.

The series finale saw BU pull ahead 3-0 before Pope and Ream each drove home a run. Bloomsburg went on to score six runs in the fourth, blowing the game open as they led 9-2.

SU trailed 10-2 entering the last inning but put up a valiant comeback effort. The first six hitters reached base, highlighted by a grand slam from redshirt sophomore Brady Harbach. They could only muster a double from there, falling 10-8.

Senior Brendan Anderson only allowed one hit in 3.1 innings, but struggled mightily with control, walking four batters and hitting four more. He allowed four runs, three of them earned.

Shippensburg baseball will look to get back to its winning ways next weekend, with a four-game series against Millersville. The first two games are at home at 1 p.m. on Friday, before shifting to MU at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

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