Shippensburg Baseball earns split with No. 28 East Stroudsburg

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: March 20, 2022

Courtesy of Shippensburg Athletics

SU wins Game 1, 5-2; ESU wins nightcap, 4-2

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team posted a split with No. 28 East Stroudsburg on Saturday, winning Game 1, 5-2, and losing Game 2, 4-2, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader on a mild day at Fairchild Field.

Shippensburg (7-17, 2-4 PSAC East) used a three-run bottom of the fifth in Game 1 to break a 2-2 tie with East Stroudsburg (19-5, 2-1), emerging triumphant in a seven-inning game that was completed in 1:47. The teams were attempting to beat Mother Nature in the nine-inning nightcap, but with two runners on and one out in the top of the ninth, the skies opened up and a one-hour lightning delay ensued.

Shippensburg will host Shepherd at 2 p.m. Fridayat Fairchild Field.

Game 1: Shippensburg 5, East Stroudsburg 2

The Warriors plated a run in each of the first two innings, one on a wild pitch and another on an RBI-single, to take a 2-0 lead. SU equaled the score in the fourth on an RBI-groundout by sophomore Andrew Chronister (Dover, Pa./Dover Area) and an RBI-single by senior Ben Werkheiser (Doylestown, Pa./Germantown Academy (Delaware)) on the eighth pitch of his at-bat.

In the decisive fifth inning, three Raider runs came across home plate with two outs. With the bases loaded, junior Justin Darden (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) drew a walk on seven pitches to make it 3-2. Two pitches later, Chronister singled into center field to make it 5-2.

Junior Noah Nabholz (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) got the start and went four innings for a no-decision. He allowed three hits and two runs (one earned), walking one and striking out two.

Sophomore Jackson LoBianco (Irvine, Cal./University) got the win in relief, throwing three scoreless innings. Lobianco did not allow a hit; he walked three and recorded no strikeouts. Through five appearances this season, Lobianco has allowed just two earned runs in 11 innings.

Game 2: East Stroudsburg 4, Shippensburg 2

ESU plated its first two runs of Game 2 without the benefit of a hit. In the third, Brainy Rojas stole second base and an error on the steal attempt allowed Cooper Gehring to score to make it 1-0. In the fifth, Tommy Dunleavy scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.

Graduate JuJu Cason (East Arcadia, N.C./North Brunswick (Belmont Abbey)) equaled the score in the fifth inning on a two-run double; he hit a rocket that evaded the raised glove of Brock Kauffman at third base and plated both sophomore Jafari Williams (Jersey City, N.J./James J. Ferris) and redshirt-sophomore Justin Byler (Lititz, Pa./Warwick (Delaware/Louisburg)).

In the seventh, after the weather delay, Rojas came to the plate and hit a single to center field that scored Dunleavy. A second run scored on the play on a throwing error in an attempt to throw out Jeremy Piatkiewicz at third base.

Sophomore Gabe Stotler (Warfordsburg, Pa./Southern Fulton) got the start and threw five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Fellow sophomore Kaleb Sophy (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain) worked three scoreless innings in relief, striking out five. Sophomore Ethan Miller (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) was tagged with the loss.

Werkheiser had two of SU’s eight hits in Game 2.

Scott Shamany worked a scoreless ninth, allowing just a hit-by-pitch, to pick up his fourth save.