SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Lock Haven University baseball team (18-6, 7-3 PSAC East) downed host Shippensburg University (11-15-1, 5-5 PSAC East), 3-1 in game two today, helping the Bald Eagles split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East doubleheader.
Shippensburg took game one 9-0, but LHU bounced back in a big way and took game two, 3-1 behind a strong effort from
Mike Anthony (Audubon, Pa./North Hampton Community College) on the mound. Anthony threw a complete-game five-hitter and the Bald Eagles scored three runs on 10 hits, including two home runs.
Shippensburg won game one, 9-0 after scoring its nine game-one runs on 13 total hits. Lock Haven's four game-one hits came from four different players.
Despite the loss, his first of the season (5-1), LHU starting pitcher
Jacob Belinda (Port Matilda, Pa./Tyrone) struck out three. The three strikeouts today moved Belinda's career total to 174, which tied him for No. 8 all-time at LHU.
In game two, LHU won 3-1 behind a strong start form Anthony. He scattered five hits over seven innings and struck out six on the way to the complete-game win. It marked Anthony's fourth win of the season (4-2) and his second straight PSAC East start that resulted in a divisional win. He only allowed one walk today.
Nick Stotler (Pittsburgh/Coker College) opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the first.
Sam Kysor's (Port Allegany, Pa./USC Upstate) sacrifice fly made it 2-0 in the second.
Evan McFarland (Cottonwood, Ariz./Gateway Community College), the reigning PSAC East Player of the Week, made it 3-0 in the fourth when he hit a solo homer, capping LHU's scoring.
McFarland,
Justin Sleigh (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) and
Tyson Petersheim (New Holland, Pa./Garden Spot) all finished with two-hit games.
Lock Haven and Shippensburg will be right back at it tomorrow (Sunday, April 9) when the two teams cap the four-game PSAC East season series with a doubleheader in Lock Haven. Game one's first pitch tomorrow is set for 1 p.m. at The Watkin's Field (Stern Athletic Complex).