SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Shepherd University (8-7) had 19 hits on the day en route to a doubleheader sweep of Shippensburg (5-7) in baseball action at Fairfax Field on Wednesday. The Rams recorded a 12-7 win in game one and added a 12-3 victory in the nightcap to run their winning streak to seven games.
The Rams took a 4-0 lead in the first inning in game one. Junior catcher Christian Hamel (Pasadena, Md./IMG Academy) belted a three-run homer to key the rally.
Shippensburg took advantage of four consecutive walks in the second to cut the lead to 4-1. Painter walked with the bases loaded to plate Baggett.
Shepherd answered back in the bottom of the second with five runs. Hamel's grand slam keyed the rally.
The Raiders added a pair of runs in the third and two more in the fifth.
Shepherd took a 12-5 lead on a solo homer by junior shortstop Trenton Burgreen (Winchester, Va./Millbrook) in the fifth.
Shippensburg completed the scoring in the seventh on a two-run homer by Logan Williamson.
Hamel went 2-for-4 and drove in seven runs to pace the Rams.
Jacob Pollock and Williamson each had a pair of hits for the Raiders.
Sophomore pitcher Eric O'Brien (Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman) (5.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 5 K, 8 BB) (1-0) gained the win for the Rams. Cole Backenstose (2.2 IP, 7 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 2 K, 4 BB) (0-1) took the loss for the Raiders.
Shepherd took a 2-0 lead in the first in the nightcap behind and RBI-ground out by junior outfielder Justin Smith (Hagerstown, Md./Smithsburg/Hagerstown CC) and an RBI-double by senior catcher Eddie Nottingham (Windsor Mill, Md./Mt. St. Joseph's/Catonsville CC).
The Rams added four runs in the second. Junior outfielder Brenton Doyle (Warrenton, Va./Kettle Run) hit a two-run double and Smith belted a two-run homer.
After Shippensburg scored a run in the top of the fifth on a solo homer by Scout Knotts, Shepherd got an RBI-single off the bat of senior outfielder Nick Atkinson (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park/VCU) to take an 8-1 advantage.
The Rams added four runs in the sixth with a solo blast by graduate student infielder Syeed Mahdi (Odenton, Md./Arundel/Norfolk State) highlight the rally.
Shippensburg completed the scoring with a pair of runs in the seventh on RBIs by Chase Zurawski and Zack Zoller.
Smith went 2-for- 4 with three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Rams.
Zurawski and Zoller each had two hits for the Raiders.
Junior pitcher Tyler Shorter (Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown) (3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K, 1 BB) (1-2) earned the win for the Rams. Noah Nabholz (2.0 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 1 K, 1 BB) (0-1) took the loss.
The Rams return to action on Saturday when they host West Virginia Wesleyan for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
