SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University softball team split a Sunday afternoon doubleheader with Kutztown to clinch a berth in the PSAC Tournament and maintain a three-game lead atop the PSAC Eastern Division standings as it heads into the final week of the regular season.

Shippensburg (24-10, 10-2 PSAC East) dropped the opening game 10-0 in six innings before winning the nightcap 2-1 in nine innings. The Golden Bears are three games behind the Raiders in second place while the Golden Rams are four games behind in third place. SU won three of the four meetings against both teams this season and would hold a tiebreaker over each squad.

The two remaining teams in the PSAC Eastern Division – East Stroudsburg (3-7) and Millersville (2-8) – could win all of their remaining divisional games but would still rank behind the Raiders in the standings by virtue of SU's 10 conference victories. This assures Shippensburg of no worse than the No. 2 seed in the PSAC Eastern Division.

Sunday's second game was a classic pitchers duel between two of the most talented freshmen in the conference: Kutztown's Sam Derr and Shippensburg's Emily Estep. Derr threw just 69 pitches in the opening game against the Raiders, allowing just four singles and striking out three.

The Raiders drew first blood in the nightcap, scraping together a run in the fourth inning on an RBI-single by senior Courtney Steele. Senior Dana Ward scored the run after leading off the inning with a four-pitch walk.

On the next pitch, freshman Kirstin McClune smacked a double off the left-field wall but Steele was thrown at home on the play to end the inning. McClune went 2-for-3 at the plate in Sunday's second game.

Kutztown (33-10, 7-5 PSAC East) answered in the top of the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly that tied the score at 1-1. The Golden Bears had their chances against Estep but the freshman hurler hunkered down when it mattered – stranding 10 runners on base.

Estep made her sixth start in divisional play on Sunday and has yet to give up more than one earned run in any of those outings. She walked three and struck out eight batters in her 11th complete game of the season. Estep constantly pounded the strike zone as well – throwing 110 of her 160 pitches for strikes.

The decisive rally came in the bottom of the ninth inning. Ward delivered her second hit of the game with a roller off home plate and moved to second base after a splendid sacrifice bunt by senior Moira Johnsen.

Senior Hope Cornell, hitless in six at-bats on the afternoon, came to the plate with another chance to win the game. After a quick conference before her at-bat with head coach Bob Brookens, Cornell ripped the first pitch she saw into center field to plate Ward and end the game. It was the third walk-off win at home this season for the Raiders.

On Tuesday, Shippensburg is scheduled to host a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader against Shepherd. Both teams are currently are among the Top 10 in the Atlantic Region rankings.