GAME 1 HTML BOX SCORE | GAME 2 HTML BOX SCORE

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University baseball team extended its winning streak to six straight in game one before seeing that streak come to an end in game two as the Huskies had to settle for a doubleheader split at Shippensburg University on Saturday afternoon at Fairchild Field. The Huskies held on for a 5-4 victory in game one before suffering a 5-1 setback in game two to move to 13-5 overall and 5-1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. The Raiders moved to 10-11 overall and 1-4 in league play.

In the opener, sophomore JJ Spehrley (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville Area) made his first collegiate start and improved to 4-0 on the season after allowing two runs on four hits in five innings. The righthander walked three and struck out four. After the Raiders pulled to within one in the bottom of the seventh, junior Trey Hinkle (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) came on and slammed the door to earn his second save of the season.

Spehrley was locked in a pitcher's duel with Dalton Oates as neither team could dent the scoreboard until sophomore Cole Swiger (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) launched a one-out home run in the top of the third to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. It was Swiger's second home run of the season and was part of a 4-for-4 performance at the dish in the opener.

However, the Raiders responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the third on RBI singles from Drew Bene and Cash Gladfelter to take a 2-1 advantage. Those marked the first runs of the weekend series for Shippensburg as it was blanked in both games of a doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Danny Litwhiler Field.

The Huskies responded with four runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 5-2 lead. Bloomsburg took advantage of a pair of passed balls and a costly error during the inning to take the three-run lead. Freshman Ben Newbert (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Harriton) scored the first run of the inning on a passed ball to knot the game at 2-2. Swiger followed with the big hit of the frame as he drove home a pair with a two-run single. Sophomore Chad Cooperman (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) scored the final run of the inning on the lone Raiders' error.

Shippensburg threatened in the bottom of the sixth after it loaded the bases against two Bloomsburg relievers - sophomore Ed Herbener (Freeland, Pa./MMI Preparatory School) and senior Mike Warren (Garnerville, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional). However, Warren was able to retire Nick Spangler on a flyout to center to end the inning.

But, the Raiders did make things quite interesting in the bottom of the seventh. Dalton Hoiles reached on an error to start the inning and then Bene launched a two-run home run off of Warren to cut the Huskies' lead to 5-4. Hinkle came on to relieve Warren and retired the next three batters, including a strike out to end the game, to nail down the save.

Oates dropped to 1-1 on the season after allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits in 3.1 innings. He walked three and struck out one.

The Huskies out-hit the Raiders, 8-7, with Swiger leading the way by going 4-for-4 with a home run and three runs batted in. Redshirt senior Austin Edgette (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East), junior Ryan Shiffer (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South), Newbert, and sophomore Andrew Holmes (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) had the other hits for the Huskies.

Bene went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI for the Raiders.

Game two was much of the same as Cooperman and Shippensburg's Grant Hoover battled in a pitcher's duel.

The Huskies struck first with their only run in the top of the first inning on an RBI single from redshirt junior Shane Woelfel (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah). Woelfel's hit scored Swiger who struck out to lead off the inning but reached first on a throwing error.

Shippensburg tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second on an RBI single from Scout Knotts and the score remained that way until the bottom of the sixth when the Raiders scored four times to break open the deadlock. The big blow of the inning came on a two-run double from Knotts off of redshirt junior reliever, Zach Newmyer (New Cumberland, Pa./Red Land).

Bloomsburg threatened in the seventh, getting a pair of runners on base. However, the Huskies could not score and Bloomsburg suffered its first league setback of the season.

Cooperman fell to 1-2 on the season as he allowed three runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out five. Newmyer was charged with the other two runs in relief. Hoover, meanwhile, moved to 1-0 on the season allowing only an unearned run on five hits in 6.1 innings. He walked one and struck out six.

Bloomsburg had six hits in game two with Swiger again leading the way with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate. Knotts and Hoover each had two of Shippensburg's eight hits in the nightcap.

Bloomsburg is scheduled to head to Clarion University on Tuesday, April 3, for a crossover doubleheader slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. The Huskies will then return to league play next Friday and Saturday, April 6 and 7, for a four-game series against East Stroudsburg University. The teams will open on Friday at East Stroudsburg before reconvening on Saturday at Danny Litwhiler Field. Start times are set for 1:00 p.m.