Ship Offense Shut Down in 8-2 Loss to West Chester
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - West Chester University's Kyle Frees allowed only
two hits through eight innings in earning his second win of the season, 8-2,
over Shippensburg University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC) baseball crossover on Tuesday afternoon at Fairchild Field. The
Red Raiders totaled just five hits in losing their sixth-straight and seventh
out of the last eight.
The Golden Rams (6-5) held an 8-0 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth
before Shippensburg scored its first two runs of the game on three hits and
a West Chester error. Until the Red Raider half of the ninth, Frees had struck
out 11 batters with no walks allowed and just two singles.
Senior Chad Stecker (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley) led of the Shippensburg
ninth with a double to center field, the teamπs first extra-base hit
of the game. Junior Eric Perlozzo (Cumberland, Md./Bishop Walsh) followed
with a single to right and then stole second, giving the Red Raiders runners
on second and third with no outs.
Sophomore Jared Boger (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) then
hit a shot down the third base line that was back-handed by Dan Toner who,
in trying to throw
out Boger from his knees, threw a one-hopper to first base, allowing Stecker
to score from third from Shippensburg's first run of the game and leaving
runners on the corners with one out.
Perlozzo scored on a double-play ground ball by junior Tyler Wise
(Bedford, Pa./Bedford) before junior Nick Erdman (Leola,
Pa./Conestoga Valley) hit
into a game-ending ground out to shortstop.
After averaging five runs per game over the first 10 games in which the team
had a record of 8-2, Shippensburg has since averaged just over two runs per
game in the last eight games and has a record of 1-7. However, during that
time, the Red Raiders played three games on the road at the University of
Tampa who is currently tied for No. 1 in the American Baseball Coaches Association
(ABCA)/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II Poll.
Shippensburg (9-9) was ranked as high as No. 8 this season, but has fallen
to No. 21 in the ABCA poll and No. 25 in the National Collegiate Baseball
Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II Top 25.
West Chester scored four runs in the third and sixth innings. In the third,
the Golden Rams scored all four runs off Red Raider starter, sophomore Ross
Buckwalter (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata). Toner led off the inning with a home run
to center field that was later followed with a two-run homer to left center
by Mark Gilliford.
Sophomore Stephen Slatcoff (Windber, Pa./Windber) relieved
Buckwalter in the sixth, but did not have much better luck as the Golden
Rams' Brett
Wallace scored on a RBI-single from Sean Bond to load the bases with no outs.
West Chester added three more runs, two coming on RBI-singles by Ryan Flynn
and Joey Yeager, giving the team an eight-run lead after six innings.
Buckwalter suffered his first loss of the season for Shippensburg, allowing
five hits and four runs while striking out five in five innings. Slatcoff
allowed five hits and four runs in one inning of work. Senior Drew
Kyle (Hanover, Pa./Southwestern) threw the final three innings for the Red Raiders, allowing
three hits and retiring nine of the 11 batters he faced.
Shippensburg returns to action for another PSAC crossover on Sunday with
a doubleheader at Bloomsburg University beginning at 1:00 p.m.
- Red Raider Baseball -
