Shippensburg sweeps doubleheader on MOC diamond

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on February 14, 2005 1:55 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE - Ryan Miscik's two-run single broke a 3-3 tie and capped a four-run fourth inning as nationally ranked Shippensburg defeated Mount Olive 7-5 in Game 1 of a non-conference baseball doubleheader Sunday at Scarborough Field.

Shippensburg completed the sweep as Nick Erdman allowed two hits in six scoreless innings in a 3-0 victory over the Trojans. Shippensburg, ranked as high as No. 8 in the national polls, won three games in the four-game series.

Mount Olive (3-6) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of game one as Ricky Davis singled to right and Michael Glass and Stephen Nordan both reached on bunt singles. Davis scored the first run on an errant throw to first, Glass came home on a ground out and Nordan scored on a single by Jonathan Pullen.

Shippensburg (3-1) scored a run in the third without benefit of a hit, using a walk, a sacrifice, a wild pitch and a balk for the Red Raiders' first run. In the fourth inning, Jared Boger singled home a run and Jared Ellis scored the tying run on a wild pitch. With two outs and runners on second and third, Miscik bounced a single over the head of 6-foot-6 pitcher Justin Staatz to give Shippensburg a 5-3 lead.

Mount Olive cut the lead to one on a two-out RBI-single by Davis, but Shippensburg answered with a run in the top of the fifth. The Trojans added another run in the bottom of the fifth as a two-out error put runners on first and third, and David Marquez stayed in a rundown long enough to allow Pullen to score from third to bring the Trojans within 6-5. But Scott Goss hit a solo home run for Shippensburg and relief pitcher Frank D'Agostino retired all six batters he faced to pick up the save.

Nathan Sterner (1-0) picked up the win for Shippensburg. Staatz (1-1) pitched four innings and took the loss, while Philip Cunningham pitched three innings in relief for the Trojans.

In the second game, Shippensburg scored single runs in each of the first three innings and Erdman (1-0) made it stand, holding the Trojans hitless until the fourth inning and retiring 17 of the first 19 batters.

The Trojans had only four baserunners for the entire game, two coming with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Brian Boylan retired the side in order in the seventh for the save.

Mount Olive starter Donald Huff (0-1) took the loss, despite allowing only three runs (two unearned) and four hits in five innings. Daniel Wood pitched two scoreless innings in relief.

Mount Olive returns to action Wednesday as the Trojans play host to Elizabeth City State in a non-conference doubleheader. Game time is 1 p.m. at Scarborough Field.