Box Scores:
WCU 3, SHIP 1
SHIP 4, WCU 3

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – A fifth-inning grand slam off the bat of junior Hope Cornell set a new university record for career home runs and helped the Shippensburg University softball team rally to salvage a split of its PSAC Eastern Division doubleheader with No. 22 West Chester. The Lady Raiders won the nightcap 4-3 after dropping the opener, 3-1.

Shippensburg (13-21, 2-8 PSAC East) came from behind for the Game 2 victory and handed freshman Missy Schwartz her first loss of the season thanks to the inspired fifth-inning rally. The Lady Raiders entered the inning down 2-0 after an RBI-double from Sam Ingersoll and an RBI-groundout from Stef Kerbacher.

Sophomore Meg Lehman led off the decisive inning with a solid single. Head coach Bob Brookens then installed his flex batter, senior Kiley Abersold, to pinch hit. Abersold drew a walk to put a runner in scoring position as freshman Shauna Byrnes pinch ran for Lehman.

A comebacker to the pitcher in the next at-bat moved the runners up one station. With one out, senior Lisamarie Ramagli came to the plate and hit a groundball to the shortstop that rolled right through her legs, but the field umpire ruled interference on Abersold as she was moving to third base. That left the bases loaded and two outs for Cornell.

Wasting no time in her crucial at-bat, Cornell launched a shot that soared well over the center-field fence, marking her sixth home of the season and the 22nd of her still-growing career. She surpassed Julie Slothower, who slugged 21 home runs from 1990-93. It is also the second grand slam for the Lady Raiders in their last eight games.

Junior Dana Ward had a solid game in the circle of Game 2 and escaped some late jams to earn her 10th victory of the season. She allowed nine hits but did not walk a batter and struck out three, including the final batter of the sixth inning with the tying run on first base.

Cornell, Ramagli and Lehman were three of the four Lady Raiders who had two hits in the second game. Junior Moira Johnsen also had two singles in the second game and was the only Lady Raider on the afternoon with three total hits between the two games.

Sophomores Emily Parkins and Chelsea Kendall were the two pitchers that worked from the circle in the opening game. SU got a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning from Cornell but could not scratch another run across the plate against West Chester's Brooke Muth, who threw a five-hitter for the win.

Shippensburg is back in action at 1 p.m. Saturday with a PSAC crossover doubleheader with California (Pa.) from Robb Field. The Lady Raiders will be teaming up the SU Athletics Department for the inaugural Strike Out Breast Cancer event. Information tables will be present around the field and donations are encouraged to support a worthy cause, with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.