LHU Baseball wraps up PSAC East series with Shippensburg

LOCK HAVEN – The Lock Haven baseball team concluded its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division series with Shippensburg University on Saturday afternoon (April 13). Lock Haven fell 6-1 in game one, before falling 9-8 in nine innings in game two.

The Bald Eagles move to 7-29 overall and 4-20 in the PSAC East, while Shippensburg moves to 21-15 overall and 14-10 in conference play.

Game 2 Recap: Shippensburg 9, Lock Haven 8 (9 Innings)

In the nightcap, Shippensburg jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the top of the first, but Lock Haven rallied for four runs over the next four innings to take its first lead, 4-3, heading into the fifth.

Jaxson Pupo (Lewiston, Pa./Mifflin County) drove in a pair of runs, while Lance Baldensperger (Warren, Pa./Warren) and Greg Cristino (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield Memorial) each belted RBI-doubles during the rally.

The Raiders knotted the score at 4-4 in the next half, but Lock Haven stayed red-hot and plated two more runs to lead 6-4 after five-complete innings.

Shippensburg cut the deficit to one in the top of the fifth, but Lock Haven again had the answer and scored two runs in the bottom half to extend its lead to 6-5 with just three outs to go.

However, with two outs in the seventh, Shippensburg rallied for four runs to erase Lock Haven’s advantage and go on top 8-6.

With their backs against the wall, the Bald Eagles fought back and scored two runs off a sacrifice fly by Nick White (Halethorpe, Md./Lansdowne) and an RBI-double by Francisco Taveras (Muhlenberg, Pa./Muhlenberg) to tie the game at 8-8.

However, Shippensburg connected on the game-winning home run in the top of the ninth to steal the victory in nine innings.

Four different Bald Eagles secured two or more hits, led by a 3-for-6 (2B) effort by Cristino. Pupo drove in a pair of runs, while Taveras, Baldensberger and Jake Ambrosio (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) all added extra-base hits.

Game 1 Recap: Shippensburg 6, Lock Haven 1

In game one, trailing 2-0 entering the bottom of the fourth, the Bald Eagles plated the equalizing two-runs in the bottom half of the inning to knot the game at 2-2.

Pupo and Dante Bruno (Telford, Pa./Souderton) drove in runs during the rally.

However, Shippensburg scored a solo run during its next at-bats, before plating three insurance runs in the top of the sixth to pull away for the victory.

For Lock Haven, Joseph DiSiena (Jacksonville, Fla./Atlantic Coast) went 2-for-3 with a double, stolen base and run scored to lead the offense. Taveras and Cristino also doubled.

Up Next for Lock Haven:

The Bald Eagles host University of Pitt-Johnstown at Watkins Field on Wednesday, April 17 at 2 p.m. in a single, nine-inning non-conference contest.