BASEBALL: Greencastle-Antrim pounces on Shippensburg errors to claim 5-3 win

SHIPPENSBURG >> Greencastle-Antrim baseball coach Eric Shaner likes this side of the fence better.

In several of the Blue Devils' losses this year, his team had been very generous to its opponents. On Tuesday afternoon, Shippensburg played the accommodating host and G-A took advantage to produce a 5-3 Mid Penn Colonial Division victory.

"I now know the fun other teams have been having against us," Shaner said, "because we've done that. We hit rock bottom Saturday (8 errors in a loss to Spring Grove); I hope we've grown up a little as ballplayers."

The Greyhounds (5-2, 2-1 MPC) had their ace, Cordell Shannon, on the mound, but Greencastle (4-3, 2-1 MPC) struck for three unearned runs in the top of the first inning. Myles Gayman led off with a walk and Kurt Hansen hit into a fielder's choice. Quin Ambeault hit a tapper to third base, but the ball was thrown away, putting runners at first and third.

Matt Kline then hit a dribbler to the first base side of Shannon, who couldn't find the handle and made a wild throw to first. It scored Gayman and put runners at first and third again. The other runs scored on a wild pitch and Austin Branchman's single to rightfield.

Ship coach Nate Rosenberry said, "They had a few bounces go their way, they took advantage of our mistakes and they got some key hits."

Shannon wasn't the only No. 1 pitcher to have a rough start. Gayman was touched for two runs in the bottom of the first when Daulton Brenize singled, Nate Reiner walked and Nick Jacoby roped a double to left that bounced past the outfielder to the fence.

Then, after one inning, Gayman was relieved by Derek Measell.

Asked about the move, Shaner said, "I just had a feeling. You can say that I said that with a wry grin."

It was actually more of a cat-that-swallowed-the-canary smile, because it definitely did not backfire.

Measell tossed the last six innings, giving up three hits, no walks and only one unearned run while striking out five. Most of his Ks came on a deadly curveball.

"Coach had told me to be ready at any time," Measell said. "Today, I was getting on top of the curveball and I don't think they hit one well. This was a big win today; hopefully it will be a great turning point for us."

Shaner said, "He had all three pitches working – his curve was nasty and he was locating his fastball well, and he was ahead in the count. It made it an easy game to call."

The Hounds scored a run in the fifth to make it a 4-3 game. Cole Friese reached on an error and swiped second. Brenize hit a grounder to deep short that was snagged by Gayman, but his throw to try to get Friese at third went to the fence and Friese scored.

But Measell retired the final eight Ship batters.

Rosenberry said, "I was surprised that Gayman only pitched one inning, but the other guy came in and did a nice job. He kept us off-balance with his offspeed pitch. There were times we didn't execute when we needed to score some runs."

Shannon, meanwhile, gave up another unearned run in the second on Hansen's RBI single, then cruised through the next four innings with seven strikeouts.

He was relieved in the seventh by Damon Watkins and the Blue Devils got a double by Gayman, a bunt single by Hansen and an RBI hit by Ambeault to score an insurance run.

Shaner said, "It's always tough facing Cordell, but I thought we battled. We did a nice job early with two strikes, then he adjusted."

Greencastle 5

Shippensburg 3

GreencastleShippensburgabrhbabrhbGayman p3210Friese 3b4110Hansen cf4121Brenize cf2120Ambeault c4021Shannon p3000Chrstmn cr0100Reiner ss2100Kline ss3101Jacoby c3022Parker lf2010Kitzmillr lf2000Brchmn 3b4011Frick dh3000Measell 2b3010Staver 1b0000Meyers 1b3100Swartz 2b0000Keller rf2000Watkins 2b2000Johnsn ph1000Hershey rf3000Totals28584Totals25352

Greencastle3100001—5Shippensburg2000100—x

E: GA 1, Ship 3; DP: Ship 1; LOB: 8, Ship 4; 2B: Ambeault, Gayman, Jacoby; SB: Parker, Measell, Friese; CS: Parker; SAC: Keller, Kline, Brenize, Kitzmiller.

Greencastle

Gayman122211Mesll (W,3-0) 631005

Shippensburg

Shnnn (L,1-1) 654037Watkins 1311 0 0

WP: Shannon.

T: 1:46.