SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University baseball team concluded the 2021 regular season on Friday afternoon with a doubleheader split at Shippensburg University. The Raiders took game one by a 9-8 final before the Huskies responded for a 6-3 victory in game two as the teams split for the second consecutive day. Bloomsburg will enter the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tournament with an 18-14 overall record and an 18-14 mark in the Eastern Division. Shippensburg, meanwhile, ends its season with a 17-19 overall record and a 15-17 slate in conference play.

Game two was called with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning with the Huskies leading, 5-3. However, the game reverts to the last completed inning, which will go down in the record books as a 6-3, five-inning victory for Bloomsburg.

Senior Ed Herbener (Drums, Pa./MMI Preparatory School) earned his first career complete-game as he went five innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits in the nightcap. The right-hander walked one and struck out five as he improved to 1-2 on the season. The victory was Herbener's first since earning the win in a 12-5 contest against Slippery Rock on April 18, 2018.

The Huskies jumped on Shippensburg starter Gabe Stotler for three runs in the first inning to take a 3-0 advantage. After Stotler retired the first two batters, redshirt junior Kyle OFier (Pittston Township, Pa./Pittston Area) drew a walk and then took second on a wild pitch. Redshirt junior Jared Burcin (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) followed with a walk, and redshirt junior Ben Newbert (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Harriton) brought himself and the two baserunners in with a three-run home run to left for his fourth home run of the season - three of which have come in the last seven contests.

After a perfect inning from Herbener, Bloomsburg went back to work and added another run in the top of the second to extend its lead to 4-0. Senior Gianni Sinatore (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) started the rally with a walk and then stole second and third to put himself 90 feet away with one out. Shippensburg reliever Ethan Miller got the second out of the inning but allowed a two-out, run-scoring double to redshirt junior Carter Chasanov (Magnolia, Del./Polytech) for the inning's lone run.

Shippensburg pulled to within 4-1 with an unearned run in the home half of the second inning. But, after a scoreless third, Bloomsburg added two in the top of the fourth to push the margin to 6-1.

Redshirt junior Jake Reed (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) was hit by a pitch to start the fourth, took second on a wild pitch, and then came in to score on an RBI single from redshirt sophomore Anthony Viggiano (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven). Chasanov followed with a single and then back-to-back walks to OFier, and Burcin allowed Viggiano to score the second run of the frame.

Shippensburg, which had managed only an unearned run on three hits through the first four innings against Herbener, cut into the Huskies' 6-1 lead with two runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth against the senior right-hander to trim the deficit to 6-3. Herbener prevented further damage as he struck out Chase Zurawski with two runners on to end the inning.

Bloomsburg went scoreless in the top of the sixth, and, with freshman Michael Standen (Drexel Hill, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) on the mound in the bottom half, the skies erupted, which forced the game to be called.

Herbener threw 83 pitches - 56 strikes - in his longest outing of the season and his first career complete game.

Bloomsburg had six hits in game two, with Chasanov going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Newbert had the big hit of the game with his three-run home run in the first to get the offense going. It was Newbert's 20th career round-tripper.

Game one started promising for the Huskies as Bloomsburg jumped out to a 6-1 lead before things unraveled in the bottom of the fourth.

The Raiders scored a run in the bottom of the first against senior right-hander JJ Spehrley (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville Area) to take a 1-0 lead. But, the Huskies answered with one in the second, two in the third, and three in the fourth to take a 6-1 advantage. Reed plated Bloomsburg's first run of the game with an RBI single in the second, bringing home redshirt sophomore Tyler Wiik (Fogelsville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) who led off the frame with a double. In the third, senior Cole Swiger (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) continued swinging a hot bat as he belted a two-run home run to left to give the Huskies a 3-1 lead. Newbert was on base after reaching on a one-out single. It was Swiger's sixth home run of the season - fourth in the last eight games - and 27th of his career, which moved him into sole possession of second place on the school's all-time list.

In the fourth, Sinatore doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-1. OFier brought home the second run of the frame with an RBI single that scored Viggiano, who walked with one out. Bloomsburg's third run occurred when Chasanov scored on a passed ball. Chasanov reached on a single following the walk to Viggiano.

But, in the bottom of the fourth, the Raiders turned a 6-1 deficit into an 8-6 advantage as the hosts scored seven times on just two hits, with three Bloomsburg pitchers combining to walk seven batters in the inning. There was also a hit batter and a wild pitch during the seven-run frame.

Shippensburg scored, what proved to be, a much-needed insurance run in the bottom of the fifth against freshman Nick Heubel (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) to extend its lead to 9-6.

The fifth-inning run was huge as the Huskies scored twice in the top of the seventh on a two-run home run from senior Andrew Holmes (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) to pull Bloomsburg to within 9-8. The round-tripper was Holmes' third of the season and also scored Newbert, who reached on a one-out walk. The Raiders brought Noah Nabholz out of the bullpen, and he allowed a two-out walk to Burcin before getting the final out of the game to preserve the Shippensburg win.

Spehrley lasted 3.1 innings in a no-decision as he allowed six runs on four hits, three walks, and two strikeouts. Redshirt freshman Brandon McGaw (Danville, Pa./Danville) was saddled with the loss as he pitched to four batters in the seven-run fourth inning and allowed two runs on three walks and a wild pitch. Heubel went the final 2.1 innings and gave up a run on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Kaleb Sophy went 6.1 innings for Shippensburg to improve to 2-5 on the season, with Nabholz getting his second save in as many days.

Chasanov was the only Bloomsburg player with a multiple-hit game as he went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the opener. Newbert scored twice while Swiger and Holmes each had a pair of RBI.

The Huskies will do some scoreboard watching this weekend to determine their opening-round opponent of the PSAC Tournament. The quarterfinal round is a one-game, single-elimination format on Wednesday, May 12. First pitch will be at noon at a place to be determined.