SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Kutztown University baseball team split its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) doubleheader against Shippensburg University on Saturday afternoon at Fairchild Field.  The Golden Bears dropped a heartbreaker, 5-4 in extra innings in the opener, before following it up with a 10-5 win in game two.

KU (18-22, 8-12 PSAC) and SHIP (20-21, 10-10 PSAC) started the opening game with four innings of scoreless baseball before Kutztown got on the board with two runs in the top of the fifth.  Alec O'Dell (Edgewood, Md./West Chester Bayard Rustin (Harford C.C.)) tripled to right center, scoring both Bo Rottet (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) and Mike White (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) for a 2-0 KU lead.

Shippensburg responded with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the fifth, before Kutztown answered with two more runs in the top of the sixth off a two-out, two-run home run by Ben Eppley (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley (Frederick C.C.)) to retake a 4-3 lead.

SU's Ryan McMillen singled through the left side with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to drive in the tying run and force extras.  In the top of the eighth, the Golden Bears were able to get a runner in scoring position, but were retired before doing any damage.  Shippensburg's Cash Gladfelter ended the game in the bottom half of the inning, hitting an RBI double to allow SU to walk off 5-4 winners. 

A determined KU team showed up for game two, with O'Dell doubling to right center in the top half of the first to score Rottet and give Kutztown a 1-0 lead. 

Shippensburg answered with a run in both the bottom of the first and second to jump ahead, 2-1.

A Joe Santospago (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Mercer County C.C.)) RBI sacrifice-fly in the third knotted the game at two.  KU followed it with a two-run shot by Brady McNab (Hatboro, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Frederick C.C.)) to right center to retake a 4-2 lead.  The Golden Bears would go on to add two runs in the top of the fifth and four more in the sixth to make it 10-3.  Shippensburg would score two runs in the bottom of the seventh before being retired, giving KU its 10-5 win.

Mike Kammerer (Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) picked up his second victory of the season, going 4.1 innings allowing three hits, three runs (two earned) and two strikeouts.
Alec O'Dell (Edgewood, Md./West Chester Bayard Rustin (Harford C.C.)) led KU on offense, finishing with a team-high three RBIs while going 2-for-6 at the plate with a run scored.  Freshman Nick Lafferty (Croydon, Pa./Archbishop Wood) went 3-for-7 with two RBIs and a run scored.  Zach Schram (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North (Mercer County C.C.)) batted 2-for-6 with two runs scored.  Freshman Eric Lane (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the opener and pitched 2.2 innings of relief to close out game two.  Joe Santospago (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Mercer County C.C.)) started game two, and went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored.  Rottet, also a freshman, led KU with three runs scored.

Over the course of the afternoon, KU finished the day with 19 hits, 13 RBIS and 14 runs scored.  Seven different Golden Bears drove in RBIs while nine batters finished the day with at least one hit. 

KU takes to the road for two non-conference games this week against Philadelphia University and Saint Thomas Aquinas College.  The Golden Bears face Philadelphia U on Monday, April 18 at 3 p.m. and then head to Saint Thomas Aquinas for a matchup on Tuesday, April 19 at 3:30 p.m.

Kutztown resumes PSAC play with a weekend season-series against Bloomsburg University, April 22-23.  KU's Senior Day will take place on April 22, with first pitch set for 1 p.m.