SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Kutztown University baseball team dropped the two road games in their final series of the 2025 season on Thursday afternoon, falling to the Shippensburg Raiders by scores of 4-2 and 8-5 at Fairchild Field in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division matchup.
 
The Golden Bears (13-32, 6-20 PSAC East) ended up playing from behind in both games, first surrendering four runs in the second inning before scoring in the first game while going down 4-1 in the third inning of game two against the Raiders (27-20, 14-12 PSAC East), who are all but locked into the fourth and final seed in the conference postseason tournament.
 
Kutztown's pitchers gave their offense a solid runway to secure wins, but the Raiders were able to lock things down in the end, with credit going to closer Jack Robinson for a pair of saves on the afternoon.
 
Game 1: Shippensburg 4, Kutztown 2
 
The Raiders made quick work of KU, getting four hits and all four runs in the second inning, just enough offense to hold off the Golden Bears. Senior Tyler Cleveland (Pillow, Pa./Upper Dauphin) (L, 1-4) regained his footing to pitch the first complete game of his career, but the four runs would be enough to give the victory to Jaxon Dalena (W, 8-3) as both starters pitched six innings.
 
The Maroon and Gold got both its runs from a fourth-inning standup double off the bat of designated hitter Jared Ferguson (Reinholds, Pa./Cocalico) on his only hit of the day, a play that scored left fielder Bo Barthol (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) and catcher Michael Burns (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman). Zack Wertman (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) was the only other KU batter to get a hit on the afternoon, while Barthol and second baseman Cam Burr (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) each had a stolen base in the loss.
 
The game's only credited error was on SU's Carter Hinds, who allowed Barthol to reach base in the fourth, making both runs unearned on Dalena. KU's Cleveland finished the day with three strikeouts across 80 pitches after facing 27 batters, while Shippensburg's Robinson (S, 6) earned a seven-pitch save.
 
Game 2: Shippensburg 8, Kutztown 5

Despite more offense on both sides of the ball, the scale still favored the Raiders after their 14 hits enabled them to claim the nightcap.
 
Kutztown got things going early, with Ferguson connecting on a single to left that brought home senior Jimmy Kerley (Indian Trail, N.C./Sun Valley) in the first frame. Shippensburg scored six runs in the next three innings to take control, and while the Golden Bears came around with four unearned runs, the Raiders were able to seal things down with their bullpen and a pair of insurance runs in the end.
 
Shippensburg used five pitchers in the game, with Cameron Goble (W, 3-5) getting through the fourth inning and picking up the win. Kutztown's Evan Krippel (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) (L, 1-3) threw 72 pitches across 3.2 innings, with reliever Abel Saft (Kintnersville, Pa./Moravian Academy) closing out the final three frames.
 
The Golden Bears will take North Campus Field one last time this season when they face the Raiders in the final two games of the series tomorrow, May 2, where they will celebrate the team's five seniors before the scheduled first pitch at 1 p.m.
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