JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The Shippensburg University baseball team scored three times in the first two innings of Friday morning's contest with Bloomsburg but was held scoreless for the remainder of the game and was ultimately eliminated from the 2011 PSAC Baseball Tournament with a 5-3 loss to the Huskies.

A couple of tough breaks and a decisive eighth inning proved to be the difference in the contest.

Shippensburg (23-28) loaded the bases in the top of the eighth inning with no outs; but a blooper was corralled by shortstop Aaron Russell for the first out, and a grounder up the middle was snared by Russell to start a 6-3 double play.

Bloomsburg (23-20) loaded the bases with one out in the eighth and SU countered with junior relief pitcher Kody Kibler. After a couple of close pitches, the Huskies drew a walk to take the lead. After Kibler froze Brad Smith for the second out, he induced a grounder to shortstop but the throw to first base was errant. BU took a 5-3 lead into the ninth and retired the side in order to end the game.

Freshman Shawn Patterson was sensational on the mound for Shippensburg, scattering seven hits in 7.1 innings. He allowed five runs – three in the fourth and two after he departed in the eighth – but only one was earned. Patterson did not walk a batter in the contest – he is one of just three starting pitchers in this tournament to boast that claim.

Junior Eric Herman led off with a game with a five-pitch walk and scored the game's first run. Sophomore Sam Phillips laced a single up the middle on a hit-and-run play before junior Ben Miller hit a sacrifice fly to left field.

In the second, Herman led off the inning with a single and stole second base. Phillips tripled into the right-center field gap to plate Herman. One batter later, Miller hit another sacrifice fly that plated Phillips and gave Shippensburg its early 2-0 lead.

Junior Tyler Uphouse reached base all four times he came to the plate; he singled, walked twice and was hit by a pitch. Phillips was 2-for-4 with a walk, RBI and a run scored.

The contest marked the final collegiate contests for Shippensburg's three seniors.

Senior Jesse Smith was an All-PSAC Eastern Division Second Team designated hitter this season and finished his 91-game career with a .288 batting average, six home runs and 47 RBIs.

Senior center fielder AJ Czap was the only SU player to start every game at the same position this season. In 99 career games, he compiled 24 extra-base hits, 47 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

Senior Kris Kullman is the most veteran member of the squad in terms of games played – totaling 141 in his career. As a catcher and a first baseman, Kullman totaled 104 hits, scored 66 runs and boasted a .981 fielding percentage.