Game 1
Game 2

KUTZTOWN, Pa. - The Shippensburg University softball team once again held its own with a nationally-ranked opponent, but the Lady Raiders could not close the door on Monday as No. 18 Kutztown won a pair of PSAC Eastern Division games at North Campus Field by scores of 6-5 and 2-0.

Shippensburg (21-15, 4-4 PSAC East) took the lead in the third inning of Game 1 with a two-run double from junior Lori Knopf, who brought home seniors Liz Good and Sarah Stengl. The Lady Raiders built a 3-0 lead by the top of the fifth when freshman Hope Cornell doubled and scored after a dropped fly ball with two outs off the bat of Knopf.

Shippensburg's starter, senior Dani Shields, was cruising until the 5th inning, when she gave up a lead-off home run to Maggie Reifsnyder that brought the score to 3-1. In the next at-bat, Shields had a grounder ricochet off her pitching hand but despite recording the out, the Golden Bears would strike for three more runs with two outs in the inning.

Following a single and a walk, Kutztown catcher Ashley Fitzgerald doubled home both runners to tie the game at 3-3. A single from Krista Cameron soon followed that gave the home team a 4-3 lead after five.

To further the seesaw battle, Shippensburg re-took the lead with two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Freshman Jill Mullan singled and junior Rachelle Wedell walked with one out, leading to a pitching change for Kutztown.

Good then came to the plate and grounded out to the new pitcher, Mary Hoch, allowing both runners to advance into scoring position with two out. The Lady Raiders gained a 5-4 lead when Stengl reached on a throwing error from the shortstop, allowing Mullan and Wedell to score.

Senior Jill Kirby entered the game in the bottom of the sixth for Shippensburg and held Kutztown scoreless for an inning, but she could not neutralize Kutztown's powerful slugger Steph Denlinger, who led off the bottom of the seventh inning with her 10th home run of the season to tie the score at 5-5.

Kutztown (32-6, 9-1 PSAC East) won the game in extras, as Denlinger again delivered for  the Golden Bears by plating the game-winning run on an RBI-single through the right side.

In the second game, Shippensburg was held to just three hits by strong pitching from Hoch and reliever Katlin Arbogast. Knopf threw a strong outing for the Lady Raiders and allowed just four hits while striking out three, but the difference proved to be an RBI-double from Fitzgerald in the third and sacrifice fly from Reifsnyder in the sixth that provided for all the scoring in the game.

Good, Cornell and Knopf were the only Lady Raiders to record hits in Game 2, while senior Amanda Bardo drew Shippensburg's lone walk.

Shippensburg will return to action tomorrow with another PSAC Eastern Division doubleheader, as the Lady Raiders host West Chester at Robb Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.