The Shippensburg University softball team split its regular season finale against Kutztown on Saturday at Robb Field, securing the Eastern Division’s No. 2 seed in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament.
Shippensburg won the first game, 13-5 in six innings. Kutztown won the second game, 6-2.
The Raiders finished the regular season at 34-16 overall and 21-11 in the PSAC East. Kutztown ended the day at 34-18 overall and 23-9 in the division.
Shippensburg totaled 27 hits and 15 runs across the doubleheader. Kutztown finished with 17 hits and 11 runs.
Lindsey Haser led Shippensburg with five hits, going 5-for-7 with a double and an RBI. Emilee Sullivan and Brie Wilmot each added four hits. Sullivan hit a three-run home run in Game 1, while Wilmot hit two home runs and drove in four runs.
Dani Hayward earned the Game 1 win for Shippensburg, striking out three batters while allowing seven hits and two walks.
Before the doubleheader, Shippensburg recognized five players during a Senior Ceremony: Rilee Ehrlacher, Caitlyn Martell, Kaira Zamadics, Sullivan and Haser.
Shippensburg will face Western Division No. 3 seed Seton Hill at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Grand Slam Complex in Binghamton, New York.
Game 1: Shippensburg 13, Kutztown 5
Kutztown took a 1-0 lead in the first inning before Shippensburg responded in the second. Gianna Cimino doubled, and Wilmot followed with a two-run home run to give the Raiders a 2-1 lead.
Kutztown regained the lead in the third on a grand slam by Morgan Slomkowski, making it 5-2.
Shippensburg answered in the bottom of the third. Rilee Ehrlacher drove in a run with a single, and Wilmot hit her second two-run home run of the game to tie it at 5-5.
The Raiders took the lead for good in the fifth. Haser singled to start the inning, Cimino drove in a run with a single, and Sullivan hit a three-run home run to give Shippensburg a 9-5 lead.
Shippensburg ended the game by run rule in the sixth. Haser doubled to start the inning, Ehrlacher hit a three-run home run, Sullivan doubled, and Martell drove in the final run with an RBI double.
The Raiders had 17 hits in the win, including nine extra-base hits. Martell, Haser and Sullivan each had three hits. Wilmot and Ehrlacher each drove in four runs.
Game 2: Kutztown 6, Shippensburg 2
Kutztown scored two runs in the first inning and added three more in the second to take a 5-0 lead.
Shippensburg scored its first run in the third inning when Haser hit an RBI single after singles by Leah Schwalm and Reagan Bauman.
Kutztown added its final run in the fourth on an RBI single.
The Raiders scored again in the seventh. Sullivan singled, Morgan Koehler doubled, and Martell drove in the run with a groundout.
Zamadics pitched 1.2 innings for Shippensburg, striking out two batters. She recorded the 100th strikeout of her career in the second inning. Mikayla Fontana pitched 1.2 innings, and Madalyn Dyer threw the final 3.2 innings, striking out four while allowing two hits and one walk.
Koehler, Bauman, Haser and Wilmot each had two hits for Shippensburg. Koehler went 2-for-2 with two doubles after entering the game as a pinch hitter.
