Red Raiders Complete Series Sweep at Lock Haven, Vault into First in PSAC West

Apr. 21, 2007

Game One | Game Two

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - While the Shippensburg University baseball team was completing a four-game series sweep at Lock Haven, Indiana (Pa.) knocked off California (Pa.), moving the Red Raiders into sole possession of first place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference with one conference series remaining.

Shippensburg (22-15, 12-4) now has a one game lead on California (Pa.) and Slippery Rock, which swept Clarion. Both Cal and Slippery Rock are 11-5 in the PSAC West. Shippensburg and Slippery Rock are scheduled for a four-game series from April 27-28 and the series will likely decide the PSAC West regular season championship.

The Red Raiders last won the PSAC West in 2005.

On Saturday, sophomore Andrew Burke (Fayetteville/Chambersburg) and senior Frank D‚Agostino (Pine Grove/Pine Grove) turned in a pair of solid pitching efforts to lead the Red Raiders to victories of 4-2 and 10-1.Burke allowed two runs on six hits through six innings and earned the victory to improve to 4-3 on the season. However, Shippensburg trailed 2-1 heading into the top of the seventh inning.

Junior Eric Dezell (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll) led off the inning with a walk and sophomore Tyler Redick (Fairfield/Walkersville (Md.)) followed with a single. Senior Eric Perlozzo (Cumberland/Bishop Walsh) then reached on a bunt single to load the bases. The next batter, junior Justin Garber (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown) picked up an RBI and tied the game when he was hit by a pitch.

Junior Brian Emerich (Mertztown/Brandywine), making just his second career start, gave the Red Raiders the lead, putting the ball in play and a Lock Haven error allowed to Red Raider runs to cross the plate.

In the bottom of the inning, senior Brian Boylan (Tannersville/Pocono Mountain) notched his second save of the season.

Lock Haven's Bobby Fiala suffered the loss after allowing four runs, three of which were earned on five hits through six innings of work.

Redick and Perlozzo accounted for four of the Red Raiders' five hits. Despite driving in a key run, Garber went 0-2, ending his hitting streak at 13 games. It is the first time since March 31 that a team held Garber without a hit.

The Red Raider offense got rolling in game two, totaling 14 hits and 10 runs. Five different Red Raiders recorded two hits, and junior Chad Griswold (Hollidaysburg/Altoona) and sophomore Sean Killian (Columbia/Hempfield) each drove in a pair of runs.

Killian‚s RBIs came on his third home run of the year. Senior Scott Goss (Johnstown/Westmont Hilltop) was 2-for-3 with a walk, RBI and two runs scored.

D‚Agostino improved his season mark to 3-2 after allowing just one run through six innings. Senior Stephen Slatcoff (Windber/Windber) worked a shutout seventh.

Lock Haven starter Josh Wrote was tagged for seven runs and eight hits through 4.2 innings and suffered his first loss of the season.

The Red Raiders travel to Ohio Valley for a North Atlantic Region doubleheader in Vienna, W.Va., on Tues., April 24. The team returns home on Wednesday for a PSAC crossover game against West Chester. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m.

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