After holding off the Mountain Cats for a 3-2 win in Sunday's opening game of a non-conference doubleheader, Shippensburg used a five-run eighth inning to erase a one-run deficit and complete the sweep with an 8-4 victory in the nightcap.
Josh Ulery and
Lucas Muffie each collected a pair of hits and two RBI for the Mountain Cats, who slipped to 1-5.
After suffering a narrow, 3-2, loss in Sunday's non-conference opener at Shippensburg, Pitt-Johnstown broke a 3-all tie with a run in the top of the sixth inning to get the split with a 4-3 win in the nightcap. The Mountain Cats are now 2-5.
In the opener, Pitt-Johnstown struck for a run in the bottom of the first on
Josh Ulery's RBI single up the middle that scored
Alex Glumac from second, but Shippensburg answered with three unearned runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead.
It stayed that way until the top of the seventh. The Mountain Cats loaded the bases, and Ulery's one-out sacrifice fly scored
Erik Rhodes to cut it to 3-2. However, Shippensburg reliever Brenden Anderson was able to get the final out and limit the Mountain Cats to just one run to earn the save.
Ben Tomb got the start for Pitt-Johnstown and suffered the tough loss to slip to 0-1. Tomb held the Red Raiders to three unearned runs on one hit over the first five innings. He struck out three and walked four.
Jared Hoener and
Seth Shuey combined to keep Shippensburg scoreless on one hit in the sixth.
Ulery went 1-for-2 with a walk and two RBI, while Glumac singled, walked and scored a run, and
Brody Roberts accounted for the Mountain Cats' other base hit.
In game two, Pitt-Johnstown jumped out to a quick lead with three runs in the top of the second. After back-to-back base hits from
Aidan Steinbugl and
Evan Beach to start the inning, Steinbugl scored on a throwing error and
Lucas Muffie followed with a two-run double to right field.
The Red Raiders loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth off of Mountain Cat starter
Brandon Clifford and came away with three runs, including a two-run single from Justin Byler, to tie it.
Alex Ebeling's two-out RBI single to left in the Pitt-Johnstown half of the sixth scored Ulery to put the Mountain Cats back on top.
However, Shippensburg answered with five in the bottom of the eighth off of Mountain Cat reliever
Austin Hammerle to regain the lead, 8-4.
Hammerle suffered the loss after giving up the five runs on six hits in two innings in relief of Clifford. Clifford pitched the first four-plus innings and allowed three runs on seven hits in the no-decision.
Muffie had two hits, including a double and a pair of RBI, while Beach added two hits and scored a run for Pitt-Johnstown. Ebeling added a hit and drove in one.
With the sweep, Shippensburg improved to 4-3.
Pitt-Johnstown will play a four-game non-conference series against West Liberty (WV) in Beckley, W.Va. next weekend, before traveling to Charleston (WV) for a three-game non-conference series on March 9-10. The Mountain Cats will make their 2024 home debut with a PSAC Western division doubleheader against Slippery Rock on March 23.
