Courtesy of Shippensburg Athletics 

Werkheiser and Darden each hit two home runs and total six RBIs

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team extended its winning streak to four games on Friday, opening its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division series with Lock Haven by dispatching the Bald Eagles, 22-2, on a windy day at Fairchild Field.

Shippensburg (11-17, 6-4 PSAC East) improved its season batting average by 11 points as part of a 21-hit attack and scored its most runs in a game in five years. All nine starters had at least one hit, including seven who had multiple hits.

The day’s sluggers were junior Justin Darden (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) and senior Ben Werkheiser (Doylestown, Pa./Germantown Academy (Delaware)). Both men hit two home runs and both finished with six RBIs.

Darden hit a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth and added a two-run shot in the seventh; both homers came on the first pitch of each at-bat. He finished the day 3-for-4 with two homers, a double, two walks, six RBIs and five runs scored.

Werkheiser hit a pair of three-run homers, coming in back-to-back at bats in the fifth and sixth inning. He finished the day with three runs scored.

Sophomore Joe Barbera (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) was inserted into the leadoff spot and went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Fellow sophomore Andrew Chronister (Dover, Pa./Dover Area) was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, while graduate JuJu Cason (East Arcadia, N.C./North Brunswick (Belmont Abbey)) had two singles and three RBIs.

Junior Lake Lloyd (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron) and redshirt-sophomore Justin Byler (Lititz, Pa./Warwick (Delaware/Louisburg)) each had two hits (including a double), an RBI and two runs scored.

Graduate Matt Shilling (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon (Harford C.C./Liberty) opened the scoring with an RBI-single in the bottom of the second. Freshman Carter Hinds (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) doubled, walked and scored three runs. Redshirt-sophomore Andres Garcia (Rahway, N.J./ Union County Vo-Tech) hit an RBI-double.

Redshirt-junior Nick Zegna (Newark, Del./Newark (George Mason)) improved to 4-3 on the season by allowing just one run on seven hits in seven innings. He struck out four and did not walk a batter. It’s the fourth straight start that Zegna has thrown seven or more innings and the eighth time in nine starts this season that he has thrown at least six innings.

Redshirt-freshmen Cameron Goble (Pittsburgh, Pa./Moon Township (VCU)) and Brock Piper (Newville, Pa./Big Spring (George Mason)) finished the game on the mound. Goble allowed one run in the eighth but struck out the side, while Piper pitched a 1-2-3 ninth with one strikeout.

Shippensburg heads to Watkins Field tomorrow for a twinbill with the Bald Eagles that begins at noon.