SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The bullpen threw 4.1 innings of relief without giving up an earned run and Bo Rottet (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) had multiple hits in both games, but the Kutztown University baseball team dropped both games of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) doubleheader, 2-6 and 1-3, on Friday afternoon at Shippensburg.

After Matt Matricardi (Dresher, Pa./Upper Dublin) did not allow an earned run in his inning of relief in game one, Peter Masterson (Park Ridge, N.J./Park Ridge) came on to shutout Shippensburg for two innings to close out the opener. Gavilan Fogarty-Harnish (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) then threw 1.2 innings of scoreless relief in the nightcap.
 
Rottet finished the doubleheader 4-for-7 with a double and a two-out RBI single that pulled KU within one, 1-2, in the fifth inning of game two. Brady Carras (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) came in to score on the play after doubling with one out earlier in the frame.
 
Shippensburg (23-18-1, 14-8 PSAC) came back with a run of its own in the bottom half though, and Kutztown did not threaten with a runner in scoring position in either of its last two at-bats.
 
Rottet was the only Golden Bear with multiple hits in the nightcap as he finished 2-for-3 with a double and the RBI.
 
Fogarty-Harnish surrendered two hits and struck out one in his 1.2 innings.
 
Shippensburg got the scoring started with a run in the second before doubling its lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Despite 10 hits in game one, which in addition to Rottet included multi-hit performances Ryan Cox (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell (St. Bonaventure)), Alec O'Dell (Edgewood, Md./West Chester Bayard Rustin (Harford C.C.)) and Ben Eppley (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley (Frederick C.C.)), KU could manage just two runs.
 
Kutztown (15-27, 4-17) did have the answer for two-run innings by Shippensburg in both the first and third, as the Maroon and Gold scored a run in both the second and fourth to cut their deficit in half twice, but the Raiders tallied two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth to close the scoring.

After KU failed to take advantage of two hits in the top of the first, a leadoff walk and a single gave Shippensburg two runners on with none away in the bottom of the first and after the first out, back-to-back singles quickly gave the Raiders a 2-0 lead.
 
Kutztown had a quick answer though as O'Dell led off the second with a double before finally crossing home on Zack Delp (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall)'s RBI infield single with two outs. The Golden Bears had a chance to tie the game or even take the lead when Jeff Zebrowski (Chester Springs, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) kept the frame alive with a single that advanced Delp to third and then stole second, but KU would strand the two runners in scoring position.
 
The first four batters of the bottom of the third all reached based. After an infield single, walk and hit by pitch, Shippensburg reestablished its two-run lead with a walk. With the bases still loaded with zero outs, starter Doug Conrad (West Chester, Pa./Downingtown West (Clarion)) did well to limit the damage as he got the first out on an RBI fielder's choice before ending the threat with an inning-ending double play.
 
KU quickly came back in the fourth to cut the deficit in half once more thanks to yet another leadoff hit by O'Dell. After his single, he stole second and would come around to make it 4-2 on Eppley's single, but Shippensburg responded with the two unearned runs in the bottom half of the inning.  
 
Kutztown had a runner reach scoring position in both the fifth and seventh, but could not cut into Shippensburg's lead despite Masterson holding the Raiders scoreless in his two innings of relief. He worked around two hits and a walk, while striking out one.
 
Matricardi also gave up two this with a strikeout in his relief appearance, as he did not allow an earned run in Shippensburg's two-run fourth.
 
The Maroon and Gold will travel back home to host the Raiders for a doubleheader tomorrow at 1 p.m. Prior to first pitch, KU will honor its nine seniors – Eppley, Matricardi, O'Dell, Anthony Atticks (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township (Harford C.C.)), Ryan Clow (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East), Kurtis Hultz (Birdsboro, Pa./Daniel Boone (Cecil College)), Joe Santospago (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood (Mercer County C.C.)),  Derian Sarlat (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township), and Zach Schram (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North (Mercer County C.C.)) – as part of Senior Day.