Box Scores
W 2-0
L 10-0

SHIPPENSBURG – Sophomore Connor Johnson fired a four-hit shutout in the opener, and was matched by a four-hitter by Shippensburg's Zack Sims in the nightcap, as East Stroudsburg University split a PSAC East doubleheader on Friday afternoon.

Redshirt junior 1B Mike Sulcoski hit a two-out, two-run homer in the sixth inning for the game's only runs in Johnson's shutout.

The right-hander retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced, and 16 of the final 18, following a pair of one-out singles in the second inning.

Shippensburg (22-19, 11-11) won the second game, 10-0, with catcher Drew Bene (3-for-4, 3 RBI) leading a 15-hit offense for the Raiders. Sims struck out 10 and didn't issue a walk.

ESU (19-20, 8-14), which would likely have to win its final six PSAC East games to make the PSAC Tournament for the fourth straight year and seventh time in last nine years, hosts the second half of the four-game series on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mitterling Field.

Game 1 – W 2-0

Johnson got a double play to end the second inning, stranded a one-out double by Dalton Hoiles in the fourth and a one-out single by Cash Gladfelter in the sixth as he faced just three over the minimum.

He sat down Ship's 4-5-6 hitters without incident in the seventh, sealing his second straight complete game after going all 6.0 innings in a 2-0 loss to Millersville in last weekend's series opener.

Johnson outdueled Ship ace Gabe Mosser, who entered with a 6-3 record, 3.91 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 53.0 innings across 10 games (nine starts).

ESU managed just six hits against Mosser, who struck out nine, but finally got to him in the sixth inning.

Senior catcher Steven Zimmerman, Jr. (2-for-2, double, HBP) singled to start the frame, and three batters later, Sulcoski homered to left – his second of the season and the third of his career – to give Johnson a 2-0 lead.

ESU's other hits were a one-out single by freshman 3B Brock Kauffman in the first, a two-out double by Zimmerman in the third, a leadoff single by Paolini in the fifth and a two-out single by sophomore OF Carson Freeman in the seventh.

Ship's best scoring chances came in the second, when Tommy Baggett and Grant Hoover had one-out singles before Scout Knotts hit into a double play, and the fourth, as Hoiles doubled and moved to third on a ground ball before Johnson got another grounder to end the threat in a scoreless game.

Johnson lowers his ERA to 2.33 in his last seven appearances (31.0 innings, 20 hits, 27 strikeouts, 4 walks) after a three-strikeout, no-walk performance. His season line is a 3-2 record, 3.58 ERA, 45 strikeouts and 11 walks in 50.1 innings through 11 starts.

Game 2 – L 10-0

Sims pushed his season strikeout total to 78 in 67.0 innings with his four-hit shutout. He entered 7-3 with a 2.85 ERA.

Ship scored two in the first, one in the second and broke it open with five in the fourth, including an RBI double by Hoiles, a two-run single by Bene and an RBI single by Hoover. The Raiders added two more in the sixth.

ESU got a leadoff double by Freeman in the fourth and singles by junior OF Zarley Cina in the fifth, senior OF Charles Edwards in the sixth and Sulcoski in the seventh.

Five Ship players had multiple hits off five ESU pitchers in Bene, Gladfelter (2-for-3, 2 RBI, run), Hoiles (2-for-3, double, RBI, run), Hoover (2-for-3, RBI) and Jack Goertzen (2-for-3, 2 runs).