The Shippensburg University softball team rallied back in both games but were unable to come back in Game 2 and settled for a split with Bloomsburg in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Jan M. Hutchinson Field. The Raiders won Game 1, 3-2, before falling to Bloomsburg in Game 2, 3-2.
Shippensburg (19-12, 13-7 PSAC East) came back late in Game 1 with a solo home run by graduate Hannah Marsteller (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) and a two-run single by sophomore Ally Weaver (Clear Spring, Md./Clear Spring) in the top of the seventh inning. Bloomsburg (14-24, 8-10) got three consecutive singles in Game 2 and took a 2-1 lead, and added one more in the bottom of the fifth. SU’s sophomore Katelyn Minney (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) hit an RBI double in the top of the sixth but the Raiders could not scrap off another run.
Marsteller led the team going 4-for-4, two RBIs and three walks. She reached base every plate appearance and had a 1.750 slugging. Junior Taylor Myers (Fayetteville, Pa./Chambersburg Area) had three hits, while freshman Kaira Zamadics (Allentown, Pa./Northampton Area) had a hit and drew two walks.
Weaver had two RBIs and drew a walk, while junior Morgan Lindsay (Hereford, Pa /Upper Perkiomen (Colgate)) drew three walks.
Sophomore Alicia Ball (Woodstock, Va./Central) started in the circle for the Raiders in Game 1 and threw 5.0 innings and allowed five hits and had four strikeouts. Ball stranded nine Huskies on base and got out of several jams in five innings. Senior Emma Flattery (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) got her seventh win of the season as she threw 2.0 innings and allowed two hits and had two strikeouts.
Shippensburg travels to East Stroudsburg for a PSAC doubleheader on Sunday at 1 p.m. to finish the week.
Game 1: Shippensburg 3, Bloomsburg 2
Bloomsburg struck first with a run scored in the second inning. The Huskies scored off an error by the Raiders at home and took a 1-0 lead. Both teams were unable score anymore runs till the seventh inning.
In the top of the seventh, Marsteller had a solo home run to center field to tie the game 1-1. Back-to-back walks from Lindsay and Minney had two Raiders on base. With two outs, Zamadics drew a walk and loaded the bases. Weaver came up big with a single up the middle to bring home Minney and Mackulin, who pinch ran for Lindsay.
The Huskies came out swinging in the bottom of the seventh with a double to right field and a single up the middle to reduce the deficit to one run. Flattery was able to get the Raiders out of the jam with back to back fielder’s choices and a ground out to Flattery for the third out.
Game 2: Bloomsburg 3, Shippensburg 2
The Raiders looked to continue the momentum from Game 1 into the first inning with back to back singles from Myers and freshman Caitlin Martell (Morrisville, Pa./Pennsbury). Marsteller hit a hard ball to right field for an RBI single and a 1-0 lead.
The Huskies took the lead in the bottom of the first with three consecutive singles and a 2-1 lead. BU extended the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice bunt RBI by Emma Little to take a 3-1 lead.
The Raiders got one run back in the sixth after Marsteller walked and Minney hit an RBI double to left field. SU was unable to bring Minney home and was stranded on base along with Zamadics, who reached base on a hit by pitch.
Junior Maelynn Leber (Wrightsville, Pa./Eastern York) started in the circle and threw 0.1 innings and Zamadics came in as relief and threw 1.1 innings. Flattery threw another 4.1 innings and allowed three hits and had two strikeouts.
