The Rock Snaps Ship's Five-Game Win Streak With Doubleheader Split

April 16, 2005

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - After a dominating performance in game one of a doubleheader with Slippery Rock University, the Shippensburg University baseball team had its five-game winning streak broken in game two Saturday at Fairchild Field. The Red Raiders split the doubleheader by winning the first game, 9-0, but fell short in game two, 8-6.

After the doubleheader split, Shippensburg (22-20, 6-6 PSAC West) remains in a tie for third-place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division with The Rock (25-11, 6-6 PSAC West).

A dominating pitching performance by Shippensburg junior Nathan Starner (Aspers, Pa./Biglersville) led the Red Raiders to victory in game one. Despite allowing three early walks, Starner limited the Rock to only six hits while striking out six in a complete game. He improves his record this season to 5-3 and leads the team with 53 strikeouts.

Junior Jeremy Hess (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) keyed Shippensburg to a strong offensive output in the first game by hitting the team’s first grand slam home run of the season in the bottom of the third inning. Sophomore Justin Garber (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) added a two-run homer in the fifth inning, marking the fourth time this season that the Red Raiders have hit two home runs in the same game.

Despite a productive start from sophomore Ross Buckwalter (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) in game two, the Shippensburg bullpen could not hold a 6-0 lead, allowing eight consecutive runs from Slippery Rock over the final three innings, inlcuding seven in the sixth inning.

Sophomore Nathan Jones (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) did not retire a batter and allowed three runs in the sixth, suffering his second loss of the season. Todd Schickling and J.D. Lowry each drove in two runs each for The Rock in the inning, as Lowry’s triple off sophomore Brian Boylan (Tannersville, Pa./Pocono Mountain) would give Slippery Rock the lead for good, 7-6.

Before the comeback by The Rock, Shippensburg had raced out to a quick lead by capitalizing on three Slippery Rock errors in the second inning. After a RBI-single from Garber, senior Chad Stecker (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley) extended his hitting streak to seven games by doubling home two more runs to extend the Shippensburg lead to 4-0.

Junior Tyler Wise (Bedford, Pa./Bedford) added a home run in the bottom of the third to give Shippensburg a 6-0 lead before Slippery Rock mounted its comeback in the sixth.

Overall, Shippensburg continued its strong hitting by combining for 15 runs and 22 hits in the Saturday doubleheader. Over the two-day stretch versus Slippery Rock, the Red Raiders totaled 27 runs and 49 hits in four games.

Hess was 6-for-11 in the four-game series with a home run, double and seven RBI while Stecker went 7-for-15 with three RBI and four runs scored.

Shippensburg will host Kutztown University in a single, nine-inning game on Tuesday, April 19 beginning at 3:00 p.m. The Golden Bears won the previous meeting between the two teams on April 6, 4-2.

- Red Raider Baseball -