Jones Tosses Seven Shutout Innings as Red Raiders Roll Past Shepherd, 9-0
April 3, 2007
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Riding the arm of senior pitcher Nate Jones (Lititz/Warwick) and the timely hitting of senior Scott Goss (Johnstown/Westmont Hilltop), the Shippensburg University baseball team captured its ninth win in 10 outings by defeating Shepherd 9-0 at Fairchild Field Tuesday afternoon.
In his previous start on Mar. 27 against Millersville, Jones (2-1) tossed five shutout innings and surrendered just one hit. On Tuesday, he threw a career-high seven innings, allowing zero runs and just two hits while striking out four, running his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 12.
At the plate, Goss continued to build upon his team-leading RBI total, driving in three runs on a single, double and sacrifice fly. He now has 23 RBIs in 22 games this season.
Shepherd (6-11) managed just three hits in the game, two of which were recorded by Dirk Webb.
In their last 10 games, the Red Raiders (12-11) are limiting opponents to an average of 2.6 runs per game, while scoring 7.1 runs per game.
Not only has the starting pitching been superb, but the Red Raider bullpen continued to pitch solid innings on Tuesday. Senior Brian Boylan (Tannersville/Pocono Mountain) and junior Kyle Warner (Berrysburg/Upper Dauphin) worked through the eighth and ninth frames without blemish.
The Red Raiders opened the scoring in the first inning when Goss drove in senior Eric Perlozzo (Cumberland/Bishop Walsh) with a single to right. In the third, the Red Raiders capitalized on a Shepherd miscue and scored three more runs to push the lead to 4-0.
Shippensburg picked up three more in the sixth on RBI singles from sophomore Jason Kelly (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin), junior Eric Dezell (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll) and sophomore Tyler Redick (Fairfield/Walkersville (Md.)).
Kelly's sacrifice fly in the seventh and Goss's RBI double in the eighth provided a pair of insurance runs for the Red Raiders.
Shepherd's Cameron Shifler was handed the loss after allowing four runs, one earned through three innings. Shepherd used a total of four pitchers in the game, and all four surrendered at least one run.
Along with Garber, sophomore Scott Stern (Martinsburg,W.Va./Central) and Dezell each tallied a pair of hits. Junior Justin Garber (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown), the reigning PSAC Western Division Player of the Week, went 1-for-3 and scored twice.
Shippensburg returns to PSAC Western Division action on Fri., April 6 as it travels to Indiana (Pa.) for a doubleheader.
- Red Raider Baseball -
